


Once upon another December.

by Ilikewriting



Category: Anastasia (1997), Anastasia - Flaherty/Ahrens/McNally (Broadway Cast) Actor RPF
Genre: Canon Divergence, Eventual Fluff, F/M, Inspired by Anastasia (1997 & Broadway), Musicals, Song: Once Upon a December (Anastasia 1997 & Broadway), Song: Still/The Neva Flows (Anastasia Broadway)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:40:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 29,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25608298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ilikewriting/pseuds/Ilikewriting
Summary: Anastahsiya Nikolayevna Románova x Gleb Vaganov.Just another fic to rewrite the story with the ship I support... Yup... I am obsessed.Starts with the parade form the song "In a crowd of thousands" and follows the storyline except the times where I use my writing talents to make Gleb and Anya be together. Mwahahaha...Canon divergence."I do NOT own any of the rights to the musical, the movie or anything else."XXX me.
Relationships: Anya | Anastasia Romanov & Gleb Vaganov, Anya | Anastasia Romanov/Gleb Vaganov
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	1. In a crowd of thousands.

_**Anastahsiya's point of view.** _

The mirror in front of me reflected every detail in the gown, the creamy yellow gown embellished with diamonds all over the torso which was crossed by a blue sash. My eyes followed the image made by the mirror to find my clear blue, close-set eyes which wandered nervously awaiting for my second oldest sister, Tatiana to finish brushing my chocolate-brown fluffy hair. As impatient as I could get with 8 years of age I swang my little legs forward and backwards as they ached from being still for so long. Then, my sister's hands fell by her sides, indicating she had finished, my little hands reached to the tiara in my hair and wiggled it a little as to perfection its position.

"For goodness's shake Anastahsiya! You'll at least be still during the parade, won't you?" Tatiana's voice rang through the room as she elegantly sat straight on an armchair. Her eyes were still looking at me and I had observed her too, I jumped off the chair and fled to the armchair in front of my sister's and copied her moves, elegantly floating on the chair, my back straight and my chin up, with a neutral smile on my face. Tatiana smiled proudly at me and so I continued.

"I am the Grand Duchess Anastahsiya Nikolayevna Románova." My pale arm raised into a small wave as I softly smiled and tilted my head from side to side, allowing all of my sisters to focus on me. My oldest sister Olga applauded me and gave me a big hug.

"My little sister is growing up so fast!" Olga had always loved to teach me all of the manners a little duchess needed to know and I prided myself in fulfilling each task perfectly. "Now, would the Grand Duchess Anastahsiya Nikolayevna Románova care to join me in a dance?" Olga bowed as she extended her hand towards me. I bowed back in response and I placed my hands, as we had been taught, the right hand on the partner's left shoulder and the left hand on the partner's right side of the hips as my sister did the same and Tatiana and my sister María mirrored us. The four of us danced around the room for a while laughing before a knock was heard at the door, from which _Papa_ entered along with _Mama_. The four of us stopped dancing and bowed as we greeted our parents and our five-year-old brother Alekséi Nikoláyevich Románov. He ran around the room and sat next to _Mama_ on the divan as _Papa_ bowed to my sister before asking.

"May I take this dance?" My oldest sister, Olga, bowed towards me at the same time I did, before bowing again at our father and continuing the dance with him. As I was about to sit my little brother tapped my hand and followed his father's steps.

"May I take this dance?" His high-pitch voice trying to resemble his father's low and sweet voice, I bowed at him, to which he smiled and laughed, showing his five-year-old, milky-white teeth and followed the steps gracefully. The room fell into a rich and harmonious silence as our mother observed, lovingly, her family enjoying the morning before the parade. _Papa_ then whispered something into Olga's ear that made her giggle and bow to end their dance. She gestured for all of us to do the same, so we all stopped bowed to our partners and our father and took a seat as _Papa_ went over to _Mama_ and danced with her as we all observed them. My sister María was sitting next to me on a divan, carefully I rested my head on her shoulder and whispered only for her to hear.

"Do you think we'll be all happy when we grow up? As happy as _Papa_ and _Mama_ look?" My sister's face stretched above my head, to what I supposed was a smile as she caressed my soft hair and whispered.

"I'm sure we'll find someone that'll make us as happy as they are."

 _Papa_ and _Mama_ danced for a couple more minutes and then stopped and bowed to each other, _Papa_ kissed her hand and then her cheek, _Mama_ grabbed his arm and then she said to all of us.

"My dearest daughters and son," She signalled with her head to all of us, standing straight with her elbows back and her chin up. "we must be on our way." With that, we all exited the room and followed our parents to the carriages in the arranged pairs to enter the carriages. Our parents would sit in one along with Alekséi, as he was the heir to the throne, then the next carriage would carry my sister Olga along with my other sister Tatiana. Lastly, my sister María and I would fill the last carriage as we were the youngest excluding our little brother.

We entered our corresponding carriages. Once the doors closed my sister looked at me, my eyes wandering to the crowds that were already extending far from my gaze.

"Anyone you're hoping to see?" I slowly sat back and looked at her, her eyes wandering along my face trying to figure my expression.

"Of course not. Who could I've met if I'm barely allowed outside this gates?" I moved forward to look through the window one last time before the carriage bumped, as the driver held his seat. With a sigh, I sat back and faced my sister, yet this time she was the one inclining over to the window as we passed the soldiers from the gates.

"Now who's the one hoping to see someone?" María did not move, as she could miss the chance to blow a kiss when the carriage passed a fourteen-year-old blonde boy, dressed in a uniform. She sat back, with a massive smile on her face.

"I can't believe you're still seeing Mikhail." I assured my sister, she blushed and then looked away from my gaze." I thought Mama had forbidden you to, María, you could get in trouble... you could get him in trouble!" She looked at me, with watery eyes.

"Oh, I know Anastahsiya, I just can't bear to avoid him." Her neck stretched, wondering if he had noticed her, she straightened herself before continuing. "You should know better than anyone." I glared at her, threateningly, as I shook my head lightly moving my hair away from my face.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." My smile kept neutral and my chin stood high, María's eyes searched my face before grinning mischievously.

"Sure you don't" I observed as her smile got larger. "Tahsia." She whispered provocatively, I opened my mouth wide open in shock.

"Have you been reading through my letters?" My voice exiting with enough shock and impact as I raised my hand to my forehead, dramatically. "My own sister!" She held my hand and looked at my eyes, lovingly before I lowered my hand to meet hers.

"Anastahsiya, you're my little sister, besides, we share a room and a writing desk, remember?" We both laughed off while the streets flowed past us rather slowly. "Well, when will you tell me this boy's name?" I smiled to myself, I was relieved we chose not to use our names when writing to each other, just in case. I motioned my head from side to side, refusing to say. "Oh come on! I refuse to believe he is called Tvoya Lyubov" [Your love in Russian]. During the next few streets, I tried to change the subject, going from music to our lessons and hobbies. We talked about our horses, Romeo and Alexander, but as the sounds of the Nevá washed our conversation I sat gracefully with a straight back, my elbows back, neutral smile and my chin up.

_**Gleb's point of view.** _

It was a June afternoon, rather warm outside, but with the flow of the Nevá, a soft breeze kept the air moving. It was hard in itself to get a glance at the Grand Duchess Anastahsiya Nikolayevna Románova, not to mention in a parade, filled with people that eighter loved her or hated her. I had never fully comprehended how anyone can hate someone because they are someone's daughter or son, their parent's acts or minds were not their owns.

I had waited months for this parade, I had memorised every detail Tahsia had gifted me within our letters, though they had been friends for no more than a year, yet it felt like a million years more, she was too proud and stubborn to give any information so easily. All the work I had put into memorizing the route, finding a spot were hopefully my father, nor his friends could spot me, being the son of a revolutionary soldier had always been hard, but things complicated, even more, when I realised I was deep in love with their enemy. As I had been anticipated by Tahsia the carriages stopped right in front of the river, the Nevá, I had never really cared for the rivers of my surroundings, but this river had shaped the relationship between my Tahsia and me, here we had met for the first time, now we met again. The Tzar presented Alekséi Nikoláyevich Románov as the heir to the throne, It was then when I could have the chance to get a glance at Anastahsiya.

Their carriage pulled over and Anastahsiya's profile lit the streets like an angel, only eight, but so proud and serene, her back straight and her chin held up, her pearlescent skin seemed to glimmer with the sun above her. Those close-set eyes, so clear they could be translucent, locked beyond her at some random abyss. Her salmon pink lips curving into a delicate curve, the same smile that had caught his eyes less than a year ago. As a last touch, her turn up nose perfectly fitting in her face, the little nose, rounded at the tip had multiple times felt the skin of my cheek when Tahsia had stroked a kiss on my cheek. In front of her, her sister María, not as graceful and the young girl, but still noticeably elegant.

In my mind all I could think was.

_Look at me, Tashia. Look this way, please. Come on Tahsia..._

The crowd began to cheer and I realized there wasn't enough time a small smile crossed the Duchess's face and in that split of a second she turned her head towards me, I froze, I straightened my back and glared at her, daringly. She arched her eyebrow as she waited for me to proceed. The angle she had taken to look at me grew as she finally looked directly at me, then very dramatically I swang my arms and made a heavy bow towards her, I tilted my head upwards to look at her, her hand covering her smile and failing to do so, at last during the few seconds we had she removed her hand and revealed a beautiful smile, with her perfect teeth showing just enough to lighten her face even more. The sun hit directly in my eyes and I realised the carriage was moving, but I didn't have enough of looking at her.

Those chocolate locks of soft hair glittered with the sun, making them nearly seem like ginger strands of hair, she spun her head towards me as the carriage moved onwards, my legs ran through the crowds, not losing sight of her, Tahsia bit her lip, slightly out of nervousness hoping that they wouldn't be parted once more, but as soon as the carriage made its way through the tracks and changed its direction to go back to the palace, I knew we had to say goodbye once more.

_**Anastahsiya's point of view.** _

I jumped from one window to the other as the carriage turned back to make its way home. Gleb hang next to a street lamp, he bowed one last time, less dramatically and with that I laid my head on the window to see him until we next met.

"You tease him so much, Anastahsiya!" María mentioned, her eyes fixed on Gleb as I recomposed myself into the straight, shoulders back and chin up position for the rest of the journey. "He stood there, waiting for you to look at him, and you wouldn't turn to him until the last second, Anastahsiya." She looked back at me and examined my position. "Goodness you're so proud aren't you?" A little giggle emerged from my mouth and my sister joined after a few seconds.

"It's just our way of talking." María seemed intrigued. "He's always laughed about all the rules we have, so when we meet he does that 'bow'. He also thinks I'm very stubborn and proud, so when he claims for my attention I ignore him." I chuckled softly under my hand.

"But won't you grow tired of that game? Mikhail and I just accept our love even though we have to be parted. It's just like Romeo and Juliet." She sighed loudly, then searched for my reaction.

"Yes, if you want to end up dead!" I told her with my most serious expression, which broke off after seeing her terrified look, into a burst of sonorous laughter. "Hey, I was joking!" The rest of the journey María filled the air with stories of Mikhail and her, It became rather clear to me that the boy seemed quite strange, but then again, who was I to question my sister's taste in boys?. Soon we were back at the palace but before our door opened I caught a glimpse of _Nana's_ carriage.

"María! _Nana_ is here!" When our door opened I carefully climbed down to the floor, to not mess my dress, Nana was standing at the doors of the palace, I picked up my skirts and ran to my _Nana_.

" _Nana_! I've missed you, _Nana_!" I threw my arms around her neck as she laughed hugging and picking me from the floor.

"Oh, my Anastahsiya!" She gently placed me down and I glamorously bowed to her, she followed as she said. "How was the parade?" I held her hand as we walked towards _Mama_ and _Papa_.

"It was nice." I could feel how my cheeks flushed pink slightly.

"You behaved?" As she said this I straightened my back, pulled my shoulders back and held my chin up with a neutral smile.

"Of course I did." When _Papa_ and _Mama_ were just a few meters from us I bowed to _Nana_ then to my parents and took my place next to my sister María. _Papa_ and _Mama_ bowed at her and Papa placed a kiss on her cheek with a hug.

"Mother." His hand extended to hide us all into the palace. Once inside all of my sisters and I were dismissed into our bedrooms, we were to get ready for dinner and bed, Mama and _Papa_ would stay up late for the ball that was bound to happen that same night.

Olga and Tatiana kissed our cheeks with a hug before they entered their room, which was right next to ours. María and I entered our room too.

María sat on the writing desk in front of a paper with the quill on her hand, fingers tapping on the wood.

"We just got home and you're already thinking of writing to him?" I headed for my vanity next to my bed and sat on the chair to remove all of my accessories. First, my hands reached for the tiara and placed it carefully on the vanity, then my hands reached back and took my pearl earrings and placed them on their little box.

"I really want to see him, Anya." My sisters barely called me with abbreviations, as it wasn't proper for the family, but María called me Anya for a long time since we shared a room and we spent the most time together. I turned to face her in the process of brushing my chocolate fluffy hair with the silver brush that laid on my vanity. "How can you manage not to see him as often?" She left the desk and sat on my bed observing me as I reached to undo my dress and change into my nightgown to go to dinner.

"Simple, I just don't feel the need to kiss him so much." I mocked, she laughed softly but continued to look at me, she really was serious. "But then again, what do I know? I haven't kissed anyone, I'm only eight! You're nearly eleven, María." My hands held hers looking up to her, she sighed. "Here," I went back to our writing table and pulled the chair back for her to sit, a soft smile crossed her face as she gleefully ran to the chair and sat. "Tonight's ball is supposed to last a long time, so if you get it delivered in a few hours you'll have some time with him." She looked at me and hugged me hard.

"Thanks, Anya!" I kissed her forehead faintly and kept instructing her.

"Mmmmm... I know! Tell him to meet you at the park, behind the palace, you can slip through the fence and meet him there." She started scribbling on the paper as she nodded. "I'll go with you just in case, I'll wait at the fence, don't take to long okay?" She brought the letter to her lips and kissed it before folding it and jumping to hug me.

"I owe you one, Anya!" She was heading for the door before I stopped her, jumping in front of the door.

"Wait, María!" I jumped in between the door and her, " _Mama_ and _Papa_ will be downstairs, getting the ball ready, remember?" Her head nodded softly, still with a puzzled look on her soft face. "Change into your nightgown, I'll get the letters delivered by dinner and after _Mama_ and _Papa_ kiss us goodnight we'll run to the garden." I held her arms as she nodded with wide-open eyes.

"You act older than you are, Anya... It's not fair you know more than I do!" She laughed going to her wardrobe. We both slid into our creamy-white nightgowns with lacing at the bottom of the gown and the sleeves. She sat on her bed undoing her hair looking back at me while I placed the dress back in the wardrobe. 

"I don't know more than you do, María. It's just... I may have done this a couple more times than you..." My sister looked back at me, not shocked anymore, It could be expected of me, as the youngest one, I have to make my own path on life. She struggled to take her hair from the black braid that fell just a few centimetres below her shoulders. "Here, let me help you." I picked my hairbrush and jumped into bed with her. My long pianist fingers ran through her hair undoing her braid and started brushing her hair gently as to not pull on any knots and hurt her.

A knock was heard at the door allowing an old maid in, It was Varvara, she had been in the palace for as long as any of my sisters could remember, they barely talked to her, but for some reason, I had always been very close to her. Her voice rang sweetly through the room.

"Your Majesties" She softly bowed as María and I stood up from the bed and bowed back.

"Varvara." We sang in unison while hugging her close. She took the hairbrush from my tiny hand and placed it on the vanity María had already started walking down the hall when I came closer to the old woman. "Varvara..." I whispered. "I need you to deliver these, one is for the boy who guards the gates." I signalled pointing at the letter. She looked down at me, with a questioning look. "My sister insisted on meeting him." She nodded in understatement as she took the envelopes. "As for him..." I continued, when I mentioned Gleb she looked up to mee with a smile. "In the last letter, I mentioned he should come to the gate at this hour to receive a letter." She hid the letters in her skirts and walked me to the dining room.

The room was quite spacious, not as large as the room we ate at when our parents didn't have balls, but It still was larger than any normal house's dining room. All of my sisters sat at the table straight gossiping about what they saw during the parade. As I entered the room Alekséi left his chair and ran towards me ending our distance with a powerful hug. "Anya! Anya, I saved a seat for you next to me." I smiled to him letting him lead me with his soft hand to the empty chair. His tiny arms pulled the chair for me and gracefully I took it.

"Thank you, Grand Duke Alekséi." I bowed my head and he laughed joyful as he climbed back to his chair. We said our prayers and enjoyed lunch before having to head back to our rooms. Along the hallway, María caught up to me with an intense look in her face, but before she could mumble any words I felt a pull on my nightgown that made me twirl meeting face to face with my little brother. I crunched, lowering to meet his eyes.

"Would the Grand Duchess Anya like to ride Romeo with me tomorrow?" He asked swinging his arms around nervously, I hugged him, lifting him from the floor and kissing his cheek softly making him giggle. I gestured María to enter the room as I left Alekséi with _Nana_.

"Of course I will, Alekséi." He rested his head on my shoulder as I hummed towards his room before entering I knocked softly and heard the ruffle of skirts.

"Oh! Anastahsiya!" She lowered her eyes meeting the nearly asleep boy in my arms and gestured for me to come in. Very gently I laid my little brother on his bed and covered him with his bedsheets, still humming the sweet lullaby _Nana_ had thought me.

"My dear Anastahsiya," She extended her arms for me to fill them, I ran to her and hugged her. She then retreated and took a detailed look at me, as if it could be the last time she did, absorbing every detail with a pained grin on her face.

"What's wrong _Nana_?" I questioned laying on the bed next to her. She erased the pain and smiled widely.

"I must leave for Paris, tonight." She commenced, stopping for a while, It nearly seemed she was trying to collect her strength.

"Why must you go, _Nana_?" I asked, pouting my lips a little, she had just arrived and she was leaving so soon?

"I've stayed too long here." She explained I didn't want her to leave, I argued, proudly.

"Take me to Paris with you!" I wished she said yes, but deep down I knew she wouldn't and part of me was happy about it, I wouldn't bear leaving my brother and sisters, _Papa_ and _Mama_ and... Gleb...

"Wherever I go, you'll always be with me." Out of thin air, she took a spheric music box and as she began opening it, the sweet melody I had hummed expanded through the room, a small gasp escaped my mouth.

"Our lullaby. When you play it, think of an old woman who loves you very, very much." She exclaimed before singing softly.

_Far away, long ago_

_glowing deem as an ember._

_Things my heart used to know._

_Things it yearns to remember._

I took in every note she sung clasping it into my heart, wishing I could freeze that moment forever. Then I sang along with her as she gifted me the music box.

_And a song someone sings,_

_Once upon a December._

We embraced each other as the song came to an end. I closed the box and stood up, bowing to her.

"Now you go and get some rest." There was a knock at the door and _Papa_ entered. "Oh, Nikolái. What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to check on Alekséi." He took a glance at the sound asleep boy and smiled.

"It's alright, _Papa_ , he fell asleep as I brought him into the room." I mentioned proudly holding my chin up.

"Of course, I couldn't expect anything less of you, Anastahsiya. You're such a good big sister. Thank you." He laid a kiss on my hand and another on my cheek before he left the room to return to the ball. I excused myself to my _Nana_ and ran back to my room. María was anxiously pacing across the room, as I closed the door behind me she murmured.

"Anya, I was worried," Her arms held me for a brief second. "Papa came to say goodnight and you weren't here, I told him you were with grandmama."

"It's alright, he kissed me goodnight and left, now, grab a coat, It will be cooler outside." I ran to my vanity and placed the music box quietly, then my legs quickened to the wardrobe. Once I had taken hold of a coat I met my sister's gaze.

"I got them delivered." My sister seemed confused, but she had full faith in me, so she didn't question it. After a few minutes, we made sure that they were all dancing, by listening to the music and the heavy waves of laughter.

"Okay, now very quietly open the door." The door opened very softly and closed smoothly. I led her down the maid's hall to the service's stairs and ended up in the garden, but right before arriving at the grass, a voice startled María.

"Anya? Is that you?" I sighed gratefully as I heard Varvara's old voice, I calmed María as Varvara came closer with a candle on her hand.

"Good night, Miss Varvara." I bowed. The old maid laughed and hugged me gently.

"Has anyone seen you?" She whispered as I tried to lower my voice.

"No, not that I could tell" I presented my sister, who had been hiding behind me. "Excuse my sister, she's a little nervous." I felt my lower lip tremble a little.

"An hour. A minute more and they'll suspect. Come on girls." She walked us to the back of the palace where the fence divided the park and the palace. María stepped the fence and I after her slid through it. Through the fence, I kissed Varvara's cheek, she stood there as we entered the park, we weren't too deep in the park when María stopped dry.

"Oh, thank the lord!" She sighed before running into her soldier's arms. He hugged her softly before retreating form her.

"María, 45 minutes and we meet back at the fence! don't delay, or you'll be in trouble." She took a look at Mikhail a brief second before running towards me and hugging me with all her strength. 

"God will bless you, Anya!" She kissed my hands before hugging me again.

"45 minutes!" I repeated. She looked around looking for where I was heading. I softly sighed and murmured. "He's at the fence, María. Now go to your soldier." Content with the gossip she ran back to her boy, laying a soft kiss on his cheek. I walked to the fence, Varvara was still waiting there.

"Is she aware of the time?" She asked worriedly when she saw me alone.

"Yes, I told her to meet me here in 45 minutes." I sat next to the fence waiting for Moya Lyubov [My love in Russian.] After a few minutes sat next to Varvara our backs stuck in the fence I felt a group of little pebbles brushing against my legs. I jumped in surprise to find the shape of Gleb forming as he stepped out of the trees. I let Varvara know that he had arrived before submerging into the trees. "Goodness, Gleb! Was that necessary?" I hit his torso tenderly, more out of annoyance than out of anger. He laughed, making that beautiful melody rang in my ears and shape a smile off my lips. He hugged me delicately as if he put more pressure I would shatter like glass, but his grip tightened as he swang me off my feet twirling me on the air. I giggled softly.

"Tahsia! My Tahsia." He murmured before placing me elegantly on the grass and kissing me of the forehead. As we parted I straightened and bowed gracefully. I saw his eyes roll as he dramatically bowed, as he did during the parade. "Oh excuse me, Grand Duchess Tahsia Nikolayevna Románova." We both sat next to each other, curling our knees to our chin and hugging them with our arms. The time fled as we talked about the parade and the life at the palace and St.Petersburg. I laid my head oh his shoulder, staring at the stars.

"Tahsia," He commenced, I hummed a yes as he breathed a little heavily reaching for something inside his pocket. I raised my head from his warm shoulder, feeling the cold breeze hit my cheek. "I..." He looked right into my soul, with those brown-black eyes that could melt anything if they stared at it for too long. He shifted his weight as he sat on his legs, his hand reached to pull a strand of hair behind my ear and say.

"My Grand Duchess Tahsia Nikolayevna Románova, I must admit I've been witnessing a crime." He got my attention, what on earth was he thinking about? "You see, I believe you've stolen something..." I opened my mouth to protest.

"Gleb Vaganov, I can assure you I have never placed my hand on something that isn't of my property." I raised my chin proudly still very confused as to what he was intending to say.

"Oh, but you've stolen something from me," He lowered my chin to meet his eyes, "You've stolen my heart Tahsia." I felt my face relax as it flushed pink, no, not pink, red. Bright red. He handed me a folded piece of newspaper, but within it there was something. I looked into his eyes, as I carefully opened the layers to reveal an oval-shaped locket. I gasped, it wasn't silver or gold, neither did it have diamonds or emeralds, it was simply made out of common metal, yet, It seemed hand-made, the inscription on the front of the locket, which read. 'YA budu lyubit' tebya v etoy zhizni I v sleduyushchey.' [I'll love you, in this life and in the next one.] My slim fingers opened the locket and found inside a picture of Gleb and a picture of me. I raised my hand to my mouth in surprise, a few tears escaping from my eyes. "You made this?" He nodded before adding.

"I love you, Tahsia." The chain fell above my head hanging the locket low, I picked it up once more and hid it under my clothes so no one would see. Gleb's arms embraced me, bringing my ear close to his heart, I whispered.

"I love you too, Gleb." No more than a minute passed before rustling came from the trees of the park and I remembered my sister. "Oh, god! Time already?" I kissed Gleb on the cheek softly and he laid a kiss on my hand before he ran away between the trees of the park.

I followed the fence back a few steps to where Varvara sat. The small shadow of my sister came to light and we both slid through the fence.

"You're both alright?" We nodded. Varvara then hugged us both and brought a finger to her lips before walking back to the palace.

"Thank you so much, Anya! I shall never forget this." she embraced me and backed away as she felt a bump beneath my clothes. She shot me a questioning look as I grabbed her arm, walking back to the room.

"I'll show you upstairs." No one found us on our way to the room, we entered the room making no noise and María jumped gleefully into my bed. Sometimes I asked myself why we had separate beds if we always spent time and slept on one. I shifted my weight as I sat on the bed, my back falling into the multiple pillows. My sister cuddled next to me as she watched me fidget with the locket, with a sigh I revealed it, without letting the chain leave my neck. She inspected every inch of the necklace, running her fingers through the inscription.

"It's not silver or gold..." she noted aloud, I didn't mind. While she kept staring at it I mentioned.

"He made it himself." She looked up in shock, then stared deeper into the locket.

"He made it?" I hummed a quiet yes, I took the pendant and opened the lock, she seemed confused as to how I opened it, but then looked straight at the pictures. "Oh!" Her eyes showed a hint of sadness, but it was so brief I thought I might have imagined it.

"Yes, it may not be gold, it may not be incrusted with jewels, but the simple fact that he made it himself, out of love, makes it even more valuable than any jewellery I own." I clasped it close and hid it under my clothes once more. My feet felt the cold floor as I took my coat and placed it back at the closet, my sister did the same and then jumped into bed next to me. We covered ourselves with the blankets and wandered into a dreamland.


	2. Soon It will be spring.

_**Gleb's point of view.** _

Flowers are blooming now that spring is knocking on the door, splashing the streets with colours and fragrances, It is truly beautiful and breathtaking how from such cold and darkness can such light and life emerge. But they are not the only things that emerge, along with flowers and the melted snow come allergies and mosquitoes. I've been walking down the streets of St.Petersburg, admiring the flower stands, analyzing the camomiles, evaluating the roses and absorbing the sweet smell of the azaleas, at a slight distance though, with the palm of my hand covering my nose and mouth every time a rush of pollen flew past. _Achoo, achoo!_

The streets were full of people, gossiping and chattering, I took a last glance at the bouquets of flowers and paced along to a nearby park, were people would take long strolls or sit at a bench to watch the sunset. The grass could extend as far as the eye could reach, covered by randomly spotted flowers. A church's bells were striking nine in the evening along my walk, every now and then I stopped to pick a few camomiles as I prepared a modest bouquet for my Tahsia.

_**Anastahsiya's point of view.** _

The wall clock in the room had just stroke nine, my nimble eyes took a glance at it, then to my sister María, who sat scribbling with a quill another letter to her lover. My hands rotated the embroidery hook I held waving the white cotton fabric around, before acknowledging it as finished and releasing the handkerchief. The noise of the quill stopped and I noticed my sister staring at me briefly.

"Do you think he'll like it?" I squeaked with my light voice. María stood and came towards me. Once she was right by my side I extended the fabric for her to evaluate the stitching. A white square, with a riveted margin in navy blue and a "G" embroidered in red, framed by a pair of curved ivies in mossy green. I felt my sister's hands fell upon my shoulders and shake them softly.

"He'll love it." she assured, moving forward to grab her letter. "aren't those the colours of the royal army?" she added moving towards me.

"They are, he's been accepted," I mumbled proudly, as a rush of blush adorned my cheeks. Not only was I happy for him, but now we'd be able to see each other more often. María was already getting ready to hand her letter to Varvara before she asked.

"Why didn't you just order on to be made? Or bought one?" She asked rather intrigued, her body laid on the door. I began to fold the fabric and place it in a little black box.

"We don't like to give each other presents that relay on a price," I took my locket out of the clothing layers and headed for the door with my sister. "we both believe we can make each other happy without having to spend loads of money. He makes lovely presents for me," I held my locked to her as she nodded in agreement. "This time was my turn to make him something."

"But..." Her feet stopped dry along the hallway, making me turn towards her. "Isn't he too young to be on the army?" She questioned, as she retook the walk.

"No, he's the same age Mikhail was when he joined, remember?" I observed as she analyzed the comment in her head before admitting.

"Oh, right, he's fourteen now isn't he?" I nodded and was surprised by a strong yell emerging from my sister's vocal cords. "Right! Your birthday is just along the corner isn't it?" I thought about it... Today was the 11th of March, my birthday was on the 18th of June...

"Yes, if 4 months was a short time!" I commented sarcastically, María could get very easily excited, she would start reminding us of her birthday six months in advance.

"Oh come on Anya! That's nothing!" She giggled as we found Varvara entranced as she finished the dishes from tonight's dinner, they were slightly less than usual, as Papa and Mama had gone to an important meeting along with Alekséi, Olga and Tatiana. I had tried and failed to persuade them to let us accompany them, but as we were the youngest there was no need to have us travel so much and postpone our studies and formation, besides, Olga was already eighteen and Tatiana was sixteen.

"Goodness, ladies!" Varvara shrieked as she placed her hand close to her heart. "You're ready for the walk?" She took a glance at the clock. "Anyone could guess you're excited." She mentioned drying her hands before holding each of ours and walking us out the service door to the royal gardens.

_**Gleb's point of view.** _

I stood next to the fence, hiding the bouquet behind my back to surprise Tahsia. The army uniform was warm upon my skin, to shield the cold springs that took place in St.Petersburg.

The first thing I laid my eyes on when she ran around the grass, was how her smile brightened up the whole world, her chocolate locks floating perfectly around her elbows, contrasting along with the silky white dress she was wearing. She stopped for a second to say goodbye to her sister and to the woman who always accompanied her, before running to the gates and blindly starting to search for me.

As she drew closer to where I was standing, dragging her hand along the fence, without making any noise I laid my hand on hers and chuckled when she gasped sonorously.

"Ah!" Her eyes looked back at me, slightly irritated. "Glebka!" I helped her through the fence and laid a gentle kiss on her hand.

"Excuse me, Tahsia." Her arms then flung around my neck, hugging me with all her strength, I returned the hug, lovingly raising her from her feet. A soft giggle escaped her dazzling smile as I placed her back down and laid a kiss on her forehead.

"Oh, Gleb! Congratulations on getting accepted." Her light eyes sparkled through the darkness, she held my hand as we walked onwards. "I have something for you." I looked back at her, captivated by her words.

"Tahsia, I thought we weren't going to spend money on each other..." I remembered the bouquet I had been hiding and felt a little red.

"I didn't, I made you something..." She said, waving a little box on her hand. "But... If you don't want it..." She dragged off, I held her wrist making her spin to face me, I was now bent down on one knee.

"My Grand duchess Tahsia, will you find it in your heart to forgive me?" She smiled widely but broke the eye contact as she continued.

"I don't know..." I then presented her the flowers, tied with a little ribbon. I stood up, to admire the beautiful smile that adorned her face, I raised the flowers to her hands, but before she went to hold them I hid them again. She gazed into my eyes with a wide grin in her face, before raising into her toes and laying a soft kiss in my cold cheek. I released the bouquet in her hands and she rose it to smell them deeply, I hugged her from behind, laying my ching in her shoulder.

"Now, where is my present?" I whispered in her ear, she broke away, inclining her head to the left, I spun her, making her glorious laughter ring through the air before laying a kiss on her cheek. We took a seat at a nearby tree, she rested her back against its trunk, still straight and her chin up. She then handed me the little box, I opened it eagerly, wondering what could be inside. The light that was being given by the streetlamps and the moon made the little handkerchief seem as if it was made of silver. The delicate embroidery could only be work of my precious Tahsia and none other, the blue and red matched perfectly the uniform I was wearing, I folded it and placed it as gracefully as I could in my pocket, allowing the embroidered corner peek just enough to reveal the "G". This would forever be one of my most precious possessions.

"I love it." I kissed her cheek again, before rising to my feet and handing out my hand to her, she took it and held my arm as we strolled through the grass.

"Where are we going?" She asked excitedly.

"Did you bring it?" Her hands extracted the music box, she had written to me about how her Nana had gifted it to her before leaving for Paris. I held my hands over her eyes and routed her towards the park's music pavilion.

 _ **Anastahsiya's point of view**_.

When Gleb finally allowed me to see, a music pavilion developed before my eyes, it was made out of iron and as I raised my head to look at the roof all the night stars shined upon the glass dome. Large windows surrounded the pavilion close, except for the entrance, lead by a few stone steps. Inside the hexagonal area, there were five stone benches, I left the music box on the closest to my right and opened it, allowing the melody to fill the air, I turned to face Gleb, he was bowing towards me.

"Grand Duchess Tahsia Nikolayevna Románova, would you honour me on a dance?" My whole body felt a rush of butterflies and my cheeks flushed a bright pink, I made a courtesy and handed him my hand. He twirled me and we danced across the hexagon, sinking into each other's eyes. He was a rather good dancer, all of his steps followed the beat perfectly and he went through all the waltz steps without tripping or forgetting them for a second. I wasn't very aware of my dancing, all I could think was how madly in love I was with him, our eyes fed off each other and all too soon the music had vanished. We were less than a few centimetres apart, I felt his breath quicken and I'm sure he felt mine too. The hand that he had been resting on my waist pulled me even closer to him tenderly until our lips met. Our eyes closed and the hand I had been holding with his rose to his shoulders and met my left hand, pulling him deeper into ur kiss, he tasted like vanilla and grapefruit, fresh and sweet. When we broke off, I felt like I had been struck by a lightning we observed each other, gaining our breaths before Gleb grabbed my waist and twirled me in the air. A burst of laughter exploded from my mouth, I had never felt so happy. Our foreheads rested on each other, with total silence, then I spoke smoothly.

"I love you..." His hands brushed my hair faintly before commenting.

"I love you too, my Tahsia. I'll always will." His free hand reached for the locket he had gifted me two years before and added. "In this life and in the next one."

The bells were striking 10 and he whispered. "You must leave?" I nodded still hanging my hands around his neck, our gaze fixed on the floor. "What if we ran away, just you and me?"

I studied him for a while. "Gleb, you know I would, but what about our families? Your father, my sisters and brother? Besides, I'm still underage, if they found us you could be imprisoned or worse!"

He agreed softly. "I know, Tahsia." I laid a faint kiss on his lips and ran to pick up my music box. Gleb hung his head low.

"But I'll make you a promise." He instantly faced me, hope shining through his eyes. "When we're both legal adults, I'll run away with you, to wherever you lead."

He swept me off my feet once more, kissing my cheek affectionately. "I'll add my promise to that. When we're both legal adults, I'll go down in one knee and ask you to be mine forever, my Tahsia." I smiled fondly.

Hand by hand we walked back to the fence, he twirled me around and laid one more soft kiss on my lips. Once I was on the other side I kissed him too, giggling.

"I have to go..." His hands held the fence and our noses were touching between the spaces.

"Until we next meet, my Tahsia." I blew him a kiss and he held it to his heart, where the handkerchief peeked through his pocket. He bowed one last time and I replied. Once I couldn't define his silhouette I turned and ran to were Varvara stood, waiting for us.

"She's not here yet?" Varvara swang her head from side to side, her arms crossed over her chest, shielding out the cold breeze. A few minutes had to pass before María ran past us towards the palace. I looked over at Varvara and murmured a sorry before following my sister.

When I entered the room I stood in shock, I don't know what I was expecting, but it was certainly not her packing a suitcase on her bed.

"What are you doing?" I closed the door behind me and walked to her bed. She kept packing frantically. "María, stop!"

"Anya, I must go!" She closed the suitcase and sat next to me. "I'm running away." I could not process what she was saying to me.

"What? You're running away? You're leaving me?" She took my hands and spoke.

"Anya, Mikhail has asked me to run away with him," she commenced rather excited, I looked back at her with concern. "he told me to pack all my jewels and expensive things I owned and leave with him."

"So you'll follow him?" I said in shock.

"I don't expect you to understand it, Anya..." I broke her off jumping from the bed.

"Expect me to understand you, Gleb asked me to run away with him tonight too, you want to know what I said to him?" She had her soft smile still drawn into her face. "I told him I couldn't, I couldn't leave my sisters, my brother, Mama and Papa." She began to rethink her decision. "Why would he need you to pack all your jewels anyways?" I asked starting to place her belongings back.

"What do you mean?" She asked looking back at me, yet not stopping me from undoing her suitcase.

"A soldier on the royal army? María I don't know what he has told you, but they make pretty decent money. Enough to support a family of four comfortably." I saw her face morphe into confusion.

"No, that can't be right... He said he didn't have enough to buy me a train ticket..." Then she sat abruptly on the bed, scaring me to death.

"María? Are you okay?" She shook her head in astonishment, yet no tears fell from her eyes.

"He was going to rob me, wasn't he?" I came closer to her and held her close.

"If it makes you feel better, I told Gleb to keep an eye on him now that he was on the army too," My sister looked back at me and hugged me tightly.

"What would I do without you?" Her hands stroking my hair. 

"Probably run away with some random guy." She laughed and broke off our hug.

"Well, I believe we have enough information to get him out of the army." I saw María's face lit with joy.

"Thank you so much, you've helped me in way too much Anya." She began to write a letter to dismiss Mikhail.

"Now, Gleb has asked you to run away?" She finished her letter and sat on her bed as she observed me put the bouquet of camomiles on a vase with water.

"Well..." I felt my cheeks flush as I walked towards her and her expression formed such excitement.

"Oh, my! You've kissed him haven't you?" I froze to my feet wondering how she had guessed.

"How have you..." She straightened and patted the seat next to her for me to jump in with her.

"You have!" She hugged me briefly. 

"Well, ye- yes... but how have you?" My voice a little uneven and shaken.

"Your lips are swollen." She pointed, I felt my face lit bright red as I fled to the mirror, they were, truly, a tiny bit red and plummed. I licked them a little embarrassed and went back to her. "Now, tell me, how was it?"

I looked back at her confused. "How was what?" María patted the bed for me to sit next to her and held my hands. "Well... It was... wet... at first, but then it seemed as if I wasn't on earth anymore... I felt like I was floating..."

"Oh! I'm so proud of you little sister." Her arms strangled me until it was hard to breathe, I coughed dramatically a few times before she finally set me free. "It's already 11:34! Papa and Mama should've arrived there already." We both then knelt down in front of our beds and gave our prayers for our family and our country and I also prayed for Glebka and his family. 


	3. Sixteen going on seventeen.

_**Anastahsiya's point of view.** _

My eyes fluttered open to the plain ceiling. Today was the 18th of May. I pulled my covers closer to me as I faced to my sister's bed, the covers perfectly placed along with the cushions, my little brother Alekséi had moved into our room when I had turned fifteen. He seemed so peaceful in his sleep. Times had gotten quite rough, I heard a lot of the news from the royal meetings I had been hearing about from my sisters and some of the rumours from Glebka. I jumped off my bad and got dressed rather speedy, placing my locket on top of my dress, showing it off proudly, then fixed my hair with a soft yellow bow and soon after I had finished getting ready for my morning stroll along with Romeo, my precious horse, Lulu, my lovely puppy and my bodyguard, Glebka, when Alekséi started to wake up.

"Well good morning sleepy-head." I giggled softly, he smudged his eyes with his, still, tiny hands. "So, how about you get dressed and I ask Varvara if we can have our breakfast outside, hm?" His eyes popped open and he ran up and down energetically trying to get dressed fast. In less than a few minutes, he was ready with his walk clothes. A pair of dark brown shoes and lighter brown trousers with a white and blue sailor shirt matching a straw hat with a navy blue lace around it. My dress fell to my heels in a beautiful soft yellow silk. I held his hand and rushed along the hallway in between laughter. As we crossed the meeting room, I could overhear the distress of my family and the council discussing, I held Alekséi and walked away from the room, leading to Varvara's work-space, just for a few hours my little brother and I would have no worries, just have fun.

"Anya?" My little brother held my shoulder and met my face, why did he have to grow up so fast, soon he would be too occupied to spend time with me, just like María and Tatiana and Olga...

"Hmm?" I looked at him with a soft smile, trying to repress my concern. 

"Do you think... Do you believe I'll ever be able to fill our father's place?" I searched his face, my little brother... He would always be my little brother...

"Of course you will, you and _Papa_ think and act just the same, your feelings, your head and your heart all align perfectly. My precious little brother..." I was just fixing a strand of his hair when one of the guards exited the room and requested Alekséi's assistance in the room. I was making my way to follow them, but before we were a few meters from the room the soldier ran a look around me before adding.

"Your assistance is not needed now, duchess." Alekséi looked back at me as he was pushed into the room, I waved my hand lightly before running to the gardens, without even warning Varvara. I took a basket with a small blanket and a few apples, strawberries and a bottle of milk along with a glass for it. My feet rushed across the grass until I was pretty far away. I extended the blanket and sat by a tree, covering my tears with a book and pretended to be fully intrigued by it.

"Tahsia! Tahsia!" Gleb's familiar and welcoming voice rang through the gardens, as no one was outside he called me by his nickname. 

"I'm right here Glebka." My voice cracked a little and his steps came closer, soon he was kneeling beside me.

"I was worried... I thought..." His head fell, I placed my book down and faced away from him to hide my tears. "I thought you ran away without me..." Without facing him I let a soft giggle escape my lips.

"You know I wouldn't do that, you're my family Glebka, I won't let you go, be sure of that." I tried to make him laugh so he wouldn't notice my concerns.

_**Gleb's point of view.** _

She trembled like a flower and her voice broke off in her forced touches of laughter. Matters were getting worse, she wouldn't expect me to believe she isn't preoccupied for her sisters and brother? I know her too well.

"Of course, I know you wouldn't leave me, my Tahsia," Her sonorous sigh indicated she truly thought I hadn't noticed, what a stubborn little duchess. "as I know you aren't feeling alright. Come on Tahsia, you can't expect me not to notice, half of your heart lives within mine and half of mine lives on yours." I twisted her head towards me and revealed her puffy red eyes and the riverways of her tears. She flung her arms around me and sobbed, I offered her the handkerchief she had gifted me all those years ago, the one I treasured and kept close to my heart as she kept her locket close to hers. 

"How is it that I lost all of my sisters and my brother so rapidly? I thought maybe Alekséi would stay beside me a few more years... At least until he turned eighteen... I'm not even allowed to mix with the meetings until I'm eighteen... It's not fair." She made herself comfortable on my lap as she gazed into the sky and the trees.

"Tahsia..." I started to straingten up.

"Don't tell me you're leaving too, Glebka... That would kill me!" Her eyes sparkled as she stood up, towering over me. I looked down, she then gave her back to me. Oh, my Tahsia... I do hope you'll be happy... I tapped her back with my finger when she turned around her hands covered her mouth, shielding the tears from her chocolate eyes. I rested on my knee, with a simple wooden box opened, presenting a small silver ring with an even minuscular diamond on it.

"No, Tahsia. I'm not leaving your side... I... I want to spend the rest of my days close to you, so... Anastahsiya Nikolayevna Románova, would you make me the happiest man on this planet and become my fiancee?" She extended her hand and nodded frantically as she said between sobs.

"Yes... Yes... Yes! A thousand times yes!" Her arms flung around me and I lifted her off her feet, absorbing the scent of her chocolate curls, blessing my ears with her laughter. Our eyes met and soon after so did our lips, the taste of strawberries and honey intoxicated every inch of me, making me twirl her off the floor once more. Still embraced in a never-ending hug she looked at the ring and whispered.

"I thought we said we wouldn't spend money on each other... This is beautiful..." I kissed her head before letting her sit once more.

"I didn't ... Technically..." She looked even more intrigued and so I continued. "I may have worked a few extra hours to be able to buy a few grams of silver and an unpolished diamond... but I made the ring. It took a few more months than I expected, I wanted it to be perfect..." Her head rested on my shoulder.

"It's beautiful. I love it Glebka-" She was broken off by the sonorous screams of another soldier, which made us both struggle to break apart.

"Vaganov! Vaganov!" My hands held each other across my uniform. 

"Igor Smirnov. Looking for something?" My head reached high, I knew my position was above his, yet, with all that was going on It was better to stay under the radar.

"I was just making sure the Duchess, was being supervised." He took a look at my Tahsia who was pretending to read and look confused.

"Well Igor, I think I'm doing my job correctly, shouldn't you go and do the same?" He dared me with his look before running back to the palace. When I made sure that he was gone I looked at Tahsia and took her hand, leading her far away, to the gates and slid through to the deepest sides of the park.

"Gleb! Gleb!" 

_**Anastahsiya's point of view.** _

"Glebka Vaganov, you're not dragging me around anymore until you tell me what is going on!" He stopped dry and turned around, revealing the anxiety on his face, I rose my hand to his cheek, trying to calm him down. "What's wrong?" We sat on the ground, making it even harder to tell where we were.

"Anastahsiya, listen to me very carefully." I realised this was something very important, as he very few times had used my full name. "Tell your mother to sew all the diamonds you have onto your nightgowns, yours and your sisters, your brother's and hers along with your father's..."

"What? Why? Gleb... What is going on..." He held my hands still.

"The Bolshevik army has infiltrated the royal army and soon will take you all into lockdown, you must not, by any circumstance ask why, try to act as if they were taking you somewhere safe, but always be on your guard. I am certain they will try to... Anastahsiya, swear to me you will be very careful. I'll be there too, but you mustn't speak to me. A revolution is a simple thing, my Tahsia, but a revel is much more complex." I remembered he told me his father was trying to stop the Bolshevik army for years now and that I should trust no one. "I'll try my hardest, I'll give my life to protect you and your family. Do as I say, Tahsia. Please." I nodded in agreement. Then he led me to our picnic spot and helped me tidy it up before going inside. As I bent over to hold the basket he took hold of my locket and smiled.

"You'll always be in my heart, Glebka." A few tears formed in my eyes. He took my ring and locked it inside of the locket and kept it in his hand, before letting it slide inside my clothes. I guessed it would be better to hide it now. The tears that had been forming slipped down my cheeks.

"Everything will be alright... I promise..." He held me close for a brief minute.

"You'll come back for me... right?" I asked to his chest. He laid a soft kiss on my lips.

"I swear I will, my Tahsia... I will try my hardest and more to protect you and give you the life you deserve." I then leaned in for what seemed like the last kiss... It was needy and desperate to keep itself in the state of magic it was. Our foreheads rested on each other's and I whispered.

"Promise me just one more thing..." He nodded, moving both of our heads. "This won't be a goodbye kiss." He stood still for a few seconds before answering.

_**Gleb's point of view.** _

"I give you my word." The day seemed to have gone sad, the blue sky was now covered my black-ish clouds thundering overhead. At the gates of the palace, a group of soldiers walked towards us. "I love you," I whispered, she prepared herself as I walked her back, pushing her a little with a hand on her back. When we were in front of the soldiers I stopped dry.

"Vaganov. You know your orders, all of the family is already taken care of." The soldier looked curiously at Tahsia, weirded by her lack of speech, I slightly tapped her back to aware her.

"And what exactly does that mean Officer Turgenev?" He straightened up as Tahsia rose her chin.

"Well, Duchess Anastahsiya, the outside isn't safe for such a fragile royal, is it? We are taking you somewhere safe." Her face stayed firm as his hand caressed her soft locks, making my jaw flinch and my hand stiffen on her back. She stayed firm and unbelieving, which made Turgenev grumpy and suspicious, but before he assumed anything Tahsia commented.

"Well then, officer, lead the way." We were all escorted inside, where I was then, ripped away from her. They took her to her room and locked her in with his brother and her sister.

"Officer Turgenev, I feel like I'm not being as included as I would like to be." He looked over his voluminous shoulder. "Well, well. Young Vaganov thinks he's already a man. What do you think comrades?"

"I am a man Turgenev, I've followed all of the orders and raised upon the royal army, given you all of their gossips, what more proof do you need?" My teeth clenched, as I stomped my way to him. My fight was stopped by my father's arm.

"I'm sure you'll have your glory son. Turgenev, return to your post. Good day Comrades." He pushed my back all the way to the small hose abandoned at the side of the road.

"What are you thinking! Why would you try to get involved in this Glebka?" I couldn't take the pressure anymore, It had been too long since I had ever opened up to my father about anything...

"Don't call me that!" His face fell as he realised where this was going. "Only she can call me that. I love her! I swore to protect her, father!" He rose.

"Then don't put yourself at risk! That would destroy her, wouldn't it?" I sat down on a chair uneasily. "Glebk-" I looked daringly at him. "Gleb, I know what you're going through, I do..." 

"She was just like Tahsia, wasn't she?" We both looked over to my mother's picture, physically, very different from my Tahsia, Blonde thin strands of hair falling before her clear blue eyes, with a soft loving gaze.

"She was, stubborn and proud... Look, son... Every night, for the last eighteen years I've laid awake at night, regretting not being able to do anything for her... Blaming myself for her death... I don't wish for you to go through that..." I looked over the table we were sat at. "I will make what it takes to assure her safety, but you must promise me you'll stay at the margin of everything, for Anastahsiya... and for Karine." He looked to my mother's picture one last time before adding. "She would be very proud of you, Gleb. You can distinguish what is right from what is easy. Follow what's ahead son. Follow your heart." He then walked out the front door to finish the day.

_**Anastahsiya's point of view.** _

The room was submerged in deep silence, María and _Mama_ sat on one of the beds while Alekséi entertained himself with a book. I stood by the door, but the guard didn't abandon his position. So I tried to put on an act.

"Mother," I greeted with a slow bow, her face was covered in fear, but I kept my gaze fixed, assuring her that we would get out of this. "María." I fled to the writing desk and scribbled in a few papers the following words:

_Mama, I know exactly what's going on, they will try to execute us anytime, Gleb warned me, he told me to sew any diamonds we have or other jewels on our nightrobes to act as a shield. Still, we must act as if we were oblivious until we can escape. There are people out there, trying to help us._

Then very quietly I walked next to my Mama and handed her the paper. Her eyes flew across the sentences, digesting every word after this she stood up and nodded before handing it back to me. Then I quietly walked to the chimney and threw it to the flashes of fire, where it got consumed in no time. Mama opened the closets to grab our nightrobes, with a slow hand movement she tore apart a few holes in everyone.

"Goodness gracious! Alekséi, María and Anastahsiya Románova. Have you been going to the gardens in your nightgowns again?" Her voice was loud enough for the guards to hear, but still sweet and never annoyed. "Look at these holes! Am I supposed to sew all of your clothes over and over again?" The guard finally knocked on the door to which my Mama twirled her gown and opened the door with an obvious temper.

"Uhm... Is everything alright here?" Officer Turgenev's rounded full-face peeked through the door, looking and scanning every corner of the room. 

"No officer, It looks like my children think it's funny to behave like animals during the night, just look at these! I'm leaving to the kitchen to grab some fabric and thread, If I come back to a mess, be prepared to face the consequences, understood?" All of us stood very straight with our heads hanging low.

"Yes, mother." We sang. She, very gracefully exited the room, causing the guard no questions.

"Wha-" I cut my little brother by grabbing his hand and sitting him on the bed with María before grabbing some paper and scribbling again:

_Everything will be alright Alekséi, but as long as the guards are patrolling our house we can't talk about this to anyone, okay?_

He read it very carefully, then nodded before I took the paper from his little hands and threw it to the flames once again. I sat by my brother and sister, embracing them both until Mama came in, but when she did, they had both fallen upon a tender sleep.

"Well, help me get this sewn before they wake up uncomfortable." She handed me a few of the nightrobes and a needle with thread, along with a box filled with little jewels. I took my nightgown and began to sew diamond after diamond after ruby or emerald all day.

At around lunchtime, Mama hid the boxes and dressed on her, finished, nightgown and wore ontop her gown, so did I. During the night we would try to get finished Olga's, Tatiana's and Papa's nightdresses and the next day Alekséi's and María's. Lunch went by as any usual day, talking about school and our activities, Tatiana and Olga would tell us about their experiences in the hospital, as they worked in many charity events for their big heart ached to help anyone in need.

A few days went by, so did a few weeks. In less than a day we had sewn and secured our nightrobes with jewels and advised our family to never take them off, as well as warning, the little personal we had left, about the situation and telling them to be aware of any suspicious activity that may indicate the day... Gleb and I wouldn't see each other as much, with any luck, his father would very kindly hand me one of, what he said were, his many notes of love and despair.

* * *

_3rd of June 1918._

I had been alone in the study room, reading and writing, by the window, observing the landscape and the very busy and oblivious city of Petersburg. There was a guard inside of the room with me, It was someone I had never seen before so I didn't give him much attention and kept looking through the window and eventually reading a few lines and scribbling a few notes on a notebook. It must've been a few hours because the change of posts ran over again, I didn't care to look at who was observing me this time, for after this weeks I was sure Gleb wasn't allowed to attend the vigilance post. After a few minutes of resting my head on the window I looked over to the officer standing right over me, I'd recognise those dark abysmal eyes anywhere, but it wasn't Glebka, for this man's face was tired and wrinkled and his black hair had no strength or shine as my Gleb's did. This man was his father.

"Mr.Vaganov?" My eyes fell tired, half-closed as I looked towards the man, whom very nervously, fidgeted with the buttons of his uniform. "Is he alright?" I couldn't think of any reason why he would risk to come here and be caught...

"Yes, yes he's... okay..." He stopped himself which only made me worry, I moved all of the paper from the little balcony sofa so he could sit down. He vacillated a little, distrusting, but finally took the seat and continued. "He's physically healthy, but he keeps destroying himself over not being able to be here for you," I held my hand to the locket hidden within my clothes before adding.

"He'll always be here for me... It's not his fault... he... he has tried to help us, I can't thank him enough..." The officer held the hand I had rested on my lap as he finished.

"Your love, Is the only thing keeping him from going mad, he's just a boy, having to experience all of this... I know what it feels like." He took a rounded locket from his uniform's collar and showed me the picture of a lively woman and a rather happy man, to which I revealed mine, he was surprised I kept it with me at all costs.

"It's the most valuable object I have." Very carefully I opened it, showing Gleb's picture and mine, slightly covered by the ring he had made me. "I've never taken it off since he gave it to me when I was eight." He caressed Gleb's picture with his callous hand before standing and handing me a couple of papers folded.

"I will let Gleb know that you're alright..." He lightly bowed his head before returning to his post with an unfeeling expression, but a million thoughts on his mind. 

I unfolded a piece of paper to reveal the scribbled handwriting that only could be Gleb's.

* * *

_My dearest Tahsia:_

_I write letters to you every day, wishing you would be right next to me, answering me, calming my aching heart. I pray every night, hoping you're safe, hoping all of you are safe. You can't imagine all of the nights I've laid on my bed, blaming myself for not being able to protect you. The Nevá flows, the wind will blow on your chocolate locks and soon you'll be outside, the leaves unfold and the war will stop... I promise I'll give my life to Russia and your family. I give my word._

_Please, be safe..._

* * *

The letter ended there as if he was just too exhausted to continue, I picked another piece of paper.

* * *

_My Tahsia:_

_Every day that goes by, without seeing you, without knowing you're safe... Having to hear all of The Bolshevik army's plans... But don't you worry my love, I've found my way to a group of soldiers from the royal army who are trying to rescue you after I proved myself, and repeatedly shown them that they can trust me I detailed explained your situation, my father is in there too, trying to plan a way to stop the Bolshevik army. Don't worry my dear... soon everything will be alright..._

* * *

_My dearest Tahsia:_

_In no time you'll turn seventeen and it pains me to know that very probably we won't see each other... but I will make it up to you, I swear, whenever this is over I will make you the biggest bouquet of flowers you've ever seen and we'll lay on the grass, observing the sky, planning about the future. We'll go back to the music Pavillion and dance every night until our feet ache, I promise you, my love, you will have the life you deserve..._

_I love you, my Tahsia._

* * *

I couldn't bear to read them any longer... as soon as I finished the last letter, I gazed towards the flames of the chimney and then to Mr.Vaganov, he lightly nodded, so I simply released the papers into the flames and observed as they reduced into ashes. I rapidly wiped the tears off my eyes and scribbled a few short words:

* * *

_My dearest Glebka:_

_Don't you worry about me, I'm alright. I sewed the diamonds onto the nightrobes, and we all wear them at all times. Lulu is always around, protecting me, I know you're working hard, trying to rescue us, but please, for me, just try to get some rest too. I miss you as badly, I stay awake at night, wondering if you're safe out there, with the Bolshevik army... I love you, Gleb, I always will. 'YA budu lyubit' tebya v etoy zhizni I v sleduyushchey.' [I'll love you, in this life and in the next one.]_

_Yours; Tahsia._

* * *

I folded the paper and gave it to Mr.Vaganov, he glanced at it briefly before hiding it in a pocket on the insides of his uniform's jacket.

I didn't exit the study room for the rest of the day, I skipped lunch, Mr.Vaganov kept his vigilance post in the study room, I could slightly tell he was a little concerned, he didn't move his gaze from me, which wasn't hard, because I had been laying on the balcony's sofa for the past couple of hours, resting my head on the window, imagining that every couple that walked by could be Glebka and me in some alternative future. The clock struck twenty-five past ten, which didn't bother me but seemed to light up Mr.Vaganov for some reason.

"Be very quiet." He wrapped an old blanket around me, making me look more common, and slid me through the passages and halls, which were empty at this time, now that I notice. Soon we were at the back gardens and I gave thanks for the blanket being so warm. In the pitch darkness, I distinguished Glebka's built form, covered by the uniform of the Bolshevik's army. He stood with his back to me, relying on the fence as support, alone. Once Mr.Vaganov assured I should be quick and discreet I ran towards him and very gently tapped his shoulder.

**_Gleb's point of view._ **

In the silver drenched pathways and the sore silence of loneliness, there was a tap on my shoulder, If that was Turgenev or Smirnov again, trying to make me explode...

"Don't you have a place to be? Orders are orders aren't they?" I repeated words they had used against me, hoping it had irritated them.

"You should really just turn around when people tap on your shoulder you know that?" The familiar sweet voice of my Tahsia rang through the air, making me turn immediately to face the ghost that was haunting me.

"Tahsia? My Tahsia, It really is you." I caressed her cheek and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. She was alright, for now.

"Yes, yes it's me." Her locks fell at both sides of her face, her forehead resting on mine, we stayed that way for a few seconds, just holding each other, letting the world fall apart before us.

A few lights swan in the back, startling me, for as much as I didn't want her to leave, we had to, for our safety.

"Promise me one thing, Glebka." She began before leaving. "try to rest, you've given me the world. You've protected me and taken care of me, now, for me, take care of yourself. I'll be alright." With that she placed a soft kiss on my lips and ran into the darkness, leaving a piece of paper in my hands. With speedy hands, I hid it among my pockets and went back to my post. 

"Go home son rest for tonight." My father's hand rested on my shoulder and his deep voice dismissed me for the day. I was about to complain, but Tahsia was right, I've spent too many nights staring at the ceiling and it has affected my focus and my mood. I left the fence and started the walk towards the old house in the middle of the woods.

Back in the old four walls, I've always known, back laying on the bed I've dreamt of my Tahsia so many nights. I sat on it, resting my back on the wooden walls which whistled with the breezes of the early June. Through the window, the sun lost itself through the vast clouds which threatened the lovely weather of June. This wouldn't end nicely...


	4. A silver storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so... Hi... I'm sorry for not updating this in so long, but I'm back and alive! so this chapter is a little short but it will all pay off, I promise. byeee!

_**Anastahsiya's point of view.** _

Another morning not knowing if we'll make it to the next one. We weren't allowed outside the palace gardens, but _Mama_ and _Papa_ had been attending a few meetings with the officers and told us to expect a ball very soon, to name one of the members of the army officer or something like that. Lulu was curled up in my lap, peacefully sleeping as I played around with a photographic camera that we had in our room. Tatiana and Olga agreed to take a picture on the mirror, during these boring days we had all entertained ourselves by taking portraits, It was fun to do something together. Olga was wearing her nursing uniform, which had a red cross marked on the front, Tatiana was wearing a white dress and I was wearing just my nightgown. Alekséi and María entered the room, them both still wearing only their nightgowns, with a basket and placed a few apples and bread on the table next to our bed. Food started to run low, which could only mean one thing, the day... was approaching.

All of us sat either on the bed or on an armchair next to the bed while eating a piece of bread and half an apple, we sat silently, all very scared and tense, it pained me to see my family hurting.

"Well, we should choose what to wear for the ball, shouldn't we?" I broke the tension which condensates the air and attracted the looks of all my siblings. My feet headed to María's closet and took the most sparkly dress she owned and handed it to her with a wide smile. "Come on! I still have to see you on it and fix it to be perfect!" My sister held my hand and changed into the dress, as she was only wearing her nightgown it was easy to make it quick. The white fabric fell over her shoulders with a half-opened sleeve, framed with golden embellishments across the sleeves, corset and skirt. I stood in front of her thoughtful, before realizing. "Oh!" I raced to the drawers and hanged a red dash across my arm, closed it and opened another one to pick up a white tiara matching the dress with gold embellishments and a red bow. "So, this over here..." All of my sisters looked intrigued and peeked behind me the art I was creating, I attached the dash across María's torso, then pulled her hair back and held it with the bow. "And the last touch..." I placed the crown and place it on her head then tilted my head, wondering what was missing... "Oh! I know!" I rushed to her vanity and picked out a pair of tear-shaped pearl earrings. "There!" I stood back, allowing all of my sisters and brother to observe my creation.

"María... you look..." María stood there, anxiously waiting for an answer from Olga, who was the first one to speak before she ran to a mirror to see what the fuss was about. "You look just like _Mama_..." Olga finished as she placed her hand on María's shoulder, then Tatiana and Alekséi followed them. "Well, Anya, I'm going to bring my dress and dash, I want to look as pretty as María does!" She added.

"Me too!" Tatiana ran behind Olga to their room laughing along the way.

"Anya, can you make me look like _Papa_?" Alekséi kept looking up at María but faced me as he rested his head on my shoulder.

"Oh Alekséi, of course, just bring your clothes." Olga and Tatiana came in sonorously holding their dresses and dashes.

I did my magic and dressed Tatiana, Olga and Alekséi on their party clothes, all of them looking perfect. I was just about to get dressed when _Mama_ and _Papa_ knocked on the door, which was opened to let the air and sunlight in. They stood there looking at all of us, _Mama_ held a hand to her mouth and _Papa_ smiled at me.

"My precious kids..." She hugged all of us and kissed our head before standing back and adding. "You're all so grown up..." She straightened up and finished her speech when _Papa_ joined to advise us.

"Dinner will be served on the royal dining room, for the ball with all of the counts and countesses... for the ball." They bowed then and left through the door. Olga, Tatiana, María and Alekséi went on with their activities as I got dressed up in a soft pink gown, with a half-opened sleeve, framed with golden embellishments across the sleeves, corset and skirt. On the corset, I attached one of the royal brochures and the red dash across my torso and then proceeded to scramble through the drawers of my vanity and choose the last accessories. Finally, I placed a pearl necklace on my neck and hid the locket inside my dress, only revealing the metallic chain upon my neck, I took a glance at the wall clock and rushed the hairbrush through my fluffy chocolate hair before placing my tiara with a pink bow on the back to hold everything on place. I jumped off the vanity and faced my sisters, they had gone quiet again, Olga absorbed by the landscape the window developed, Tatiana and María playing with Lulu on the floor and Alekséi laying on his bed, staring at the abyss, none of them had a set expression on their face and I felt the same way, but I was determined to make them have a day to forget everything and just live the moment...

Turning around to face my vanity one last time I took my spheric-shaped music box and wind it up to play the lullaby my _Nana_ had taught me since I was a little girl. The waltz played through the room, attracting all of my siblings' looks except for Olga's, who just kept looking through the window. I approached her and bowed before commenting.

"Grand Duchess Olga Nikoláyevna Románova, would you grant me this dance?" She turned around with a mellow smile drawn on her lips.

"It would be my pleasure Grand Duchess Anastahsiya Nikolayevna Románova." She then bowed and handed me her hand to lead the dance. We spun across the room in between giggles and whispers from our sisters, who joined us along with Alekséi, holding hands in a circle, graciously floating over the floor. Olga and I parted to join the circle, spinning and hopping around the room all of our worries faded into the thin air of July.

The unexpected ring of the dinner bell and the murmurs of the guests woke us from our trance, all of us wore a wide smile to accessorise our shiny gowns. In order of age, we walked down the halls to the main staircase that leads directly to the dining hall, once we were finally on the view of our guests _Mama_ and _Papa_ introduced us to our guests.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, I present you The Grand Duchess Olga Nikoláyevna Románova," As each of our names were called we stepped down the staircase and stood until our parents lead us to the dining room. "The Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikoláyevna Románova. The Grand Duchess María Nikoláyevna Románova. The Grand Duchess Anastahsiya Nikolayevna Románova." When Papa mentioned my name a rush of adrenaline filled my veins as I walked down the stairs to join my sisters, my head tall and my shoulders down. "And, Alekséi Nikoláyevich Románov Tsarevich of Russia." My brother walked down the stairs and stood next to me until we were lead to the dining room.

Dinner went by like a breath, they were about to remove all of the cutlery when my eyes caught a glimpse of Gleb, at the window, standing still, his eyes pinned towards me, with a light shimmer on them. I gasped for air as I realised what was going on...

"Ladies and Gentlemen, would you care to step into the ballroom, where my daughters will be so kind as to perform for us." _Papa_ signalled his hand to us and we all walked into the room, I slightly slower than the rest of them, as I looked back at the window, where Gleb still memorised my face, I knew I didn't want him to remember me this way, so I straightened up, held my chin up and smiled towards him before nodding and walking outside the room. 

**_Gleb's point of view._ **

There she stood, straight as a queen, proudly holding her chin up with a delicate smile drawn on her lips and a light sparkling on her eyes. This would be how I remembered her... No, no, I could still safe her. It won't end like this.

"I swear Tahsia, for you, for our Russia, my beauty..." I parted away from the window to find my father, his face callous and fallen, he placed a hand on my shoulder, making me notice the pistol that hanged from his pocket.

"Go home, son." He started to walk away, but I was too confused and filled with rage to let him go without any explanations.

"But- but..." My voice cracked and stuttered before he repeated, slightly looking back at me in the darkness.

"Don't ask, go home." He then left into the darkness. 

My legs ran to the windows from the ballroom to see my precious Tahsia dance her anguish away, gracefully spinning and hopping around the room. Everyone seemed to have fun and forget about the war that was taking place, I kept my hopes up that maybe the royal army had been able to stop the Bolshevik army from doing something... horrible, but then the gunshots began, the screams of people running and the sounds of glass shattering. I was calling out to her, trying to get them to run away, frantically moving my arms around, a pair of tears racing down my cheeks, but Tahsia stood tall, as they began to get surrounded by seven soldiers from the Bolshevik army, including my father.


	5. By the side of the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, another short chapter, but the next one will be long I promise. Xo

_**Gleb's point of view.** _

I followed the carriage that contained the bodies of the royals and led them to a pit of dirt when the driver left, unaware someone had followed him, I climbed the carriage to find my Tahsia, pale as the snow that fell from the sky in mid-July, her chocolate locks messily falling beside her face. I held her in my arms, with the strength my love had provided me and carried her to the sides of a road, where no one could find her, I rested her head against a tree and caressed her locks away from her face, and notices a few spots of blood on her forehead, but after scanning her, her robes were intact, no blood and no signs of deep wounds. A finger twitched.

"Tahsia... Please, I can't do this alone..." I took the sweater I was wearing and covered her with it, hoping that the warmth would help her wake up, I opened her locket and removed her picture, to keep it in my wallet, no one could recognise her, then I placed the ring inside it and closed it again. Showing an A on the front of the locket. I swang her arms around my neck and carried her to the nearest hospital.

"Good lord!" Was the reception that we got, when we arrived, covered by snow, the nurse ordered a bed to be made and laid her on it.

"Where did you say you found her?" "By the side of a road, there were tracks on the snow." The nurse ran some tests on her and came to me after a few hours.

"Well, she'll be fine, she just needs some rest." She then presented me with a tray that held her belongings. "Could you verify that these are all hers?" I looked at the tray, but there were only two things, the locket, which I knew held the ring I gave her and a tiny diamond, which I supposed was the only one left from her nightgown, the only thing of value she has left, as the army took anything valuable from the family and the palace.

"Uhm.. yes, yes. She had all of these when I found her." The nurse nodded and then placed the tray on a table, next to Tahsia's bed.

"Alright, you're free to leave now, sir." I looked at her, repressing my pain.

"Wh-why?" The nurse held the notebook were she had been noting Tahsia's condition.

"Well, I believe If you're not related you have no more business here, but don't worry, we'll take good care of her." She began to lead me to the door, I tried to stop, to say something, but what would I say? I'm her boyfriend? Then she would ask me for her name and mine if the Bolshevik army was then notified of this... It would put her on danger. "Have a good day, sir." With that, I was back on the road, alone and uncertain if my love would ever come back to me.

"I swear Tahsia, I will never stop looking for you."

_**Anastahsiya's point of view.** _

I heard little droplets hit the window, I moved and twisted on the bed which held me captive with tight sheets. As I opened my eyes fluttering my lashes like a pair of butterfly wings, a pair of terrified nurses whispered upon the bed and ran around frantically, bringing in more and more nurses.

"Call the child Anya," Said one of them, holding a metallic box from a chain. "It's initialled with an A."

"Give the child a hat." Said the other nurse as she approached me. "It's cold outside."

They told me I had amnesia, that I was found at the side of a road, wearing only my nightgown and a sweater, along with a locket. They thought I should keep it, to help me remember, and soon they left me on the road again. I travelled the backroads and slept in the woods, taking what I needed, from what seemed like an abandoned palace and working, when I could. I kept my courage, foolish as it is, but whenever I fell asleep, in the land of dreams shadows called my name, there's hope and light at the end of a hall, then my dreams, fade away and it's a brand new day.


	6. Rumours on St.Petersburg.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can anyone believe I can write all the lyrics off by memory? Because I can, lol! Theatre nerd alert folks!

** Ten years later: **

_**Gleb's point of view.** _

"Ten years have passed since I was parted from you my Tahsia, the Bolshevik army is gaining more and more allies. Our Russia is lost without you..." I spoke to the girl on the picture I kept on my wallet. I dressed on my uniform and walked to the plaza, were some comrades and I would have to give a speech to the citizens, the roads were busy and grey. A new wind blows, spring would be right around the corner and it still seemed like winter. 

" We hear you, comrades. The revolution hears you. Yes, our way is long. The journey hard. The chains of the Romanovs are heavy. Three long centuries they bound us. But we have broken them! Together we will forge a new Russia, a fair and compassionate Russia, that will be the envy of the whole world. That is the promise we have made fellow Russian to fellow Russian. The Tsar’s St Petersburg is now the people’s Leningrad!"

People rumoured and whispered, laying their hopes on the return of the princess Anastahsiya, but I had been searching for her ten long years, the last I heard from her It was said she had died at the hospital. I walked around the people, trying to keep control of the situation, where a man was starting a commotion, but as soon as I approached the group he ran off like a rat on the sewers.

"St.Petersburg is booming, a city on the rise, it's really very friendly" A group of old women commented as I walked past them. It was ridiculous trying to stop them from believing a dream, I couldn't stop myself from wanting to believe it either.

_**Anastahsiya's point of view.** _

The streets today were full of gossip and chatter, a man was leading the commotion of the gossip as I continued to sweep the streets I kept my hearing clear to catch what they were talking about.

_Now everyone is equal, Professors push the brooms. Two dozen total strangers live in two small rooms. You hold a revolution and here's the price you pay! Thank goodness for the gossip that gets us through the day!_

"Have you heard? There's a rumour in St.Petersburg!" They all began echoing along the streets.

_Have you heard? What they're saying on the streets? Although the Tsar did not survive, One daughter may be still alive! The princess Anastahsiya, but please do not repeat! It's a rumour, a legend, a mystery! Something whispered in an alleyway or through a crack! It's a rumour, that's part of our history!_

I kept sweeping away from the gossips, I couldn't lose this job, they're not easy to get. Traffic started to bring more noise into the background, muting the voices of the women and men and letting me concentrate. The snow fell around my shoulders and chocolate locks and I wished the sweater I had was thicker or warmer, my trembling hands struggled to grab onto the broomstick. Boom!

"No!" I fell to the floor with the noise of a gunshot, leaving the broom behind. I curled up on the floor, trying hopelessly to make the nightmares go away.

"It was a truck backfiring, comrade." A warm voice said from behind. "That's all it was." I turned around to face him, but all I faced was the embroidered shield of the Bolshevik army. "Those days are over neighbour against neighbour. There's nothing to be afraid of anymore." He picked up my broom and came towards me, my hands shaking, even more than before, not daring to look in his eyes as he helped me up. His gaze examined me as every inch of me shook, afraid of the authorities which made their own law. "You're shaking. There's a tea shop just steps from here-"

"Thank you..." I tried to take my broom and ran away, but his grip was stronger and forced me to look into his deep abysmal eyes.

"What's your hurry?" I took the broom with both hands and left my eyes to focus on the floor.

"I can't lose this job, they're not easy to come by." He let go from the broom and I began to retreat, going back to my sweeping, far from him. Then stopped a few feet from him. "But, thank you," I said, lightly smiling, to the familiar man.

"I'm here every day!" He said I took one last look at him before he disappeared again into the commotion. What was it about this man that seemed so welcoming and caring. His night's veil hair or his entrancing voice... there was something about him that made my heartache.

_**Gleb's point of view.** _

What was it about that girl, maybe it was her chocolate hair, that so much reminded me from my Tahsia, or maybe the way she smiled, so lightly and caring, just like my Tahsia. She trembles like the flower my love was. I took my wallet out and stared at the picture. Could it be? It can't. The nurse told me the girl had died. It's just my brain playing tricks on me again. My Tahsia, I know that you're in heaven and from below I swore to you I would find you, but what if you left me behind? Did you finally run away without me?

_**Anastahsiya's point of view.** _

"You're late. Again." The man said as I entered the store. "Anya, how much do you actually need a job?"

I stood in front of the man, on the other side of the desk, gripping to the broomstick with all my strength. "It's the only thing assuring me a meal, sir." It was true, it had been years since I had had three full meals, since I was released from the hospital I presume.

"Well then, it pains me to say that it doesn't seem like you care much for yourself." I raised my head to face him as he stood from his chair and walked to the door. "Leave the broom on the closet. Goodbye, Anya." My head fell low and I slowly exited the room, leaving the broom behind, I hadn't even been given this weeks salary, another day without eating anything. I should've let that kind man buy me a cup of tea... No, he had the uniform... But that he's in the army doesn't mean he was the one that appears in my nightmares... He seems... nice.

"Anya!" An old woman ran behind me, exiting the store, it was the boss's wife, I never caught her name... "Look, there isn't much I can do for you, but I heard that there is a man that can get you out of Russia..." My face lit up and I listened to every detail she said. "Go to Count Yusupov's palace, that one right there..." she pointed with her finger towards a monument in ruins. "and ask for a boy called Dmitry. He's the only one who will get you those exit papers." She said that and ran back to the store. 

It had been a long walk, but I was finally at the doors of the palace, which seemed awfully familiar, I knocked once... Twice... The door opened, but no one was on the other side. I paced through the halls until I heard a sudden movement from the darkness.

"I'm looking for someone called Dmitry?" My voice shook, as my cold hands trembled beneath the sweater.

"I'm Dmitry. What do you want?" A tall man, with light brown hair and slim proportions, jumped from behind a covered piece of furniture as he spoke.

"I need exit papers and I was told that you were the only person who can help me." I speedily walked towards him as he took a seat on a chair.

"Exit papers are expensive."

"I saved a little money," I replied, trying to find the fabric bag I kept my coins in.

"The right papers cost a lot." He commented.

"I'm a hard-worker, you'll get your money," I said, starting to lose my patience.

"What do you do?" He asked as I kneeled, sitting far back from him, ashamed I added.

"I'm a street sweeper"

"A street sweeper?" He mocked, along with someone else, whom I noticed at that very moment. An older man, wider and taller, who sat on another chair a few feet from him.

"In Odessa, I washed dishes," I explained, talking to both men who laughed at me. "Before that, I worked at the hospital in Perm..."

"That's a long way from here." He mentioned, straightening his back, rather ungracefully.

"I know, I walked it," I added. He looked at me again, amazed and confused at the same time.

"You walked here all the way from Perm?" He asked me, unbelieving.

"I had no choice." He threw a look at his companion before accommodating and asking me.

"Who are you running from?" I scrambled through my thoughts and tried to remember the reason why I wanted to leave...

"I'm running to someone..." I finally exhaled, looking at both men. "I don't know who, but I know they're waiting for me in Paris."

"You don't need papers. There is a canal out there, jump in and start swimming!" He laughed off with his friend. My patience had run off by this point. "You'll be in Paris before you know it. She's crazy!" They laughed off, making me even madder, I had been called crazy so many times already, I couldn't handle it.

"I'm not crazy!" I raged at him, "Why are you so unkind?" I wondered out loud.

"We'd be hoping you'd be someone else..." The elder man commented.

"Who?" I said out of curiosity.

"Someone who may not even exist." My head was spinning and every wall and painting seemed to be alive. I had been here before...

"I've been in this room before..." I scrambled through my brain, searching and scanning through every fragment I had. "There was a play, everyone was beautifully dressed."

"This was the private theatre in Count Yusupov's palace." The elderly man said. I closed my eyes, trying to remember every bit of it, but the hunger was eating through me and I began to feel light-headed.

"She's going to faint on us!" Dmitry pointed out. I felt my mouth smile and my heartache as every fragment of the play stuck to my brain.

"When did you eat last?" The elderly man asked, supporting my light body.

"Afterwards we danced... And champagne!" I lit up as I began remembering the events. "I stole a sip," I remembered apologetically.

"Where are your manners Dmitry' Get us some water and a piece of that cheese too." The man said, flickering his finger at the boy as he kneeled beside me.

"This isn't a soup kitchen, Vlad." The boy argued back, but at least I had cathed the kind man's name, who gestured for him to move as I took the empty chair I had been presented with.

"You seem to be a gentleman." I complimented the man, for he was very kind and his face lit up with joy when he heard the word slip from my lips. "Even if your friend is not."

"Gentleman?" He repeated, giggling off. "I haven't heard that word in a long time." He accommodated on the floor as he continued. "Life hasn't been easy for my young friend."

"Life hasn't been easy for anyone." I corrected him as the young boy handed me a glass.

"Thank you," I said to him, out of politeness, not affection.

"Don't be too quick about this one." The man whispered to Dmitry.

"Her?" He pointed rudely at me as he gave his back to me. "Have you gone crazy too?" He laughed off.

"I'm Vlad." He bowed as he properly introduced himself. I smiled softly at the sight of such an extravagant act. "What's your name dear?" He asked me. I went slightly pale.

"I don't know..." Vlad giggled a little as he approached me.

"You don't know?" He seemed amused, I couldn't blame him, everyone knows their name, everyone except me.

"They gave me a name at the hospital, Anya." I continued, remembering the few things I could. "They told me I had amnesia." My lip trembled a little as the memories rushed in. "There was nothing they could do about it." I fixed my eyes on my knees as I felt my heart shrink.

"Tell us what you do remember..." Vlad said, taking a seat, rather intrigued.

_They said I was found by the side of a road, there were tracks all around, it had recently snowed. In the darkness and cold, with the wind in the trees, a girl with no name and no memories but these: Rain against a window, sheets upon a bed, terrifying nurses whispering overhead. 'Call the child Anya', 'Give the child a hat', I don't know a thing before that... I stood up, feeling everything develop before my eyes, still holding the glass of water in my hands, now empty, to use it to remember I wasn't dreaming. Travelling the back roads, sleeping in the woods, taking what I needed, working when I could. Keeping up my courage, foolish as it seems, at night all alone in my dreams... In my dreams shadows call, there's a light at the end of a hall, then my dreams fade away, but I know it all will come back one day... I walked towards Vlad and handed him the glass as I allowed myself to get entranced by the talk of my dreams. I dream of a city beyond all compare, is it Paris? Paris! A beautiful river, a bridge by a square and I hear a voice whisper I'll meet you right there in Paris! Paris... I then faced the young boy who sat there, listening to my story like it was some kind of fairytale and barked at him._

"You don't know what it's like, not to know who you are, to have lived in the shadows and travelled this far!" I remembered the painful memories from before the accident, the fire and the screams, ringing in my head. "I've seen flashes of fire, heard the echo of screams! But I still have this faith in the truth of my dreams..."

_In my dreams, it's all real and my heart has so much to reveal and my dreams seem to say don't be afraid to go on don't give up hope, come what may! I know it all will come back! One day! I reached my hand to the thin air of illusions I had been perceiving from my past and my present, entranced by the truth my dreams could reveal._

"Maybe we can help you, after all, Anya" Dmitry began, but I refused to look at his face.

"It so happens We are going to Paris ourselves," Vlad said, leading me to the depths of the palace.

_**Gleb's point of view.** _

The office was busy attending all of the rumours that filled the streets with chatter, reports flying around the room along with the constant chatter of the workers.

_ Another rumour on the street, another rumour to attend. Fill out a new report. The rumours never end. Another steal, another lie, another spy betrays a friend. Fill out a new report. The rumours never end. I walked rapidly, with a chorus of three girls behind me.  _

"Anything concerning the Romanovs, even the most preposterous rumour, we take very seriously," I told the leading child, because, though she seemed around 27, she was a child. I sat at one end of my desk and the girl took the only empty chair in front of it.

"I told you, she is about as much Romanov as I am." I scanned her up and down, a simple girl with no other way around the world but the one she had always known.

"She's a street sweeper." One of them added.

"Her name is Anya." The other commented.

"She was sleeping under a bridge until she took up with them." The girl on the chair finished. I scribbled the few details I thought important on a piece of paper and looked up to see them peeking at to what I was writing.

"Thank you," I said as I kept scribbling a few things down.

"Are you going to arrest them?" Asked one of the girls standing behind the chair. I focused my gaze on her eyes and said.

"You've done your duty and I've done mine." I ended, tired of all the commotion involving my dearest Tahsia, the world was punishing me for not being able to save her by haunting me with this gossip. "Listening to your gossip."

"It's not gossip, it's the truth!" I slammed my hand on the desk, making all of them jump a little, finished taking note of a few things and smiled, hiding the rage behind my eyes. I dropped the pencil and got up to walk towards them, the two girls at the back stepped a little further away from my reach. Once I was on top of the child on the chair I broke her gaze as I crackled my fingers, then stood her up with her chin resting on my finger, looking away from her, then crackled the last finger and finally looking at her again.

"The next time I see the three of you, soliciting on theatre street," They all stood very still and pale, the girl under my grip looked up at me, trying not to tremble. "I won't look the other way!" After this, I softly blew on the child's face and they all ran off like little frightened mice. "Another rumour on the street, another girl to apprehend. One more pretender who no longer plays pretend. Fill out the new report!" A wave of anger and longing flooded my senses for a brief moment. The world is torturing me, my Tahsia and I deserve it.


	7. Finding the way.

**Anastahsiya's point of view.**

We were now in an empty room, holding only a chalkboard, with a million words exploding from a mind map, in one corner of the room and a table with two chairs around it and plates and cutlery placed on it on the other side of the room.

"Are you ready to become the Grand Duchess Anastahsiya Nikolaevna Romanov?" Asked Dmitry, holding both of my arms as I tried to flee the room. 

"I'm ready to find out who I am, but I'm not going to lie to do it," I said proudly holding my head up and standing as tall as I could as I tried to flee the room again. 

"It won't be a lie." Dmitry held my arm and forced me back into the room as he continued talking. "We're going to help you remember the truth." He pushed me gently into the middle of the room as he tried to convince me of his secretive actions.

"I wish I had your confidence," I commented sarcastically as he seemed determined on his idea.

"If the Dowager Empress recognizes you as her granddaughter," He began, "Vlad and I will get a small reward for our efforts," his voice lowered a little as he arrived at this part of the plan I hadn't been aware off, of course, he wasn't helping me, he was helping himself. "and we'll all live happily ever after."

"And if she calls me an Imposter?" I remarked, angrily at the realization that all he wanted was to flee and get money out of it. "Then it will all just be an honest mistake," His voice was determined and demanding. "Either way, it gets you to Paris and it gets us out of Russia." He finished talking to the back of my head as I had turned to face Vlad, who was the only one I trusted now.

"Everybody wins..." Vlad analyzed, to which I doze off to my earliest memories.

"How do you become... the person you've forgotten you ever were?" I asked to the abyss, as I took a seat on one of the chairs.

"Take a deep breath, close your eyes," Vlad said as he and Dmitry presented me with an old book "and imagine another time, another world..." They opened the book to reveal a couple of photographs. "You were born in a palace by the sea,"

"Could it be?" I gasped, as the few trees in the background seemed to move my air with the breeze that rocked them to sleep. "Yes, it's so. You rode horseback when you were only three!" He proudly added, like a father.

"Horseback riding? Me?" I giggled, as my eyes fixed on the beautiful horse, who seemed to be very docile and soft, to be easy to ride on but painful to jump with.

"Horse's name?" Dmitry asked Vlad as they flipped the book.

"Romeo." The next picture was a simple dinner in a small room, filled with many children with happy faces.

"You threw tantrums and terrorized the cook! HA! How the palace shook!" 

"Charming child," Dmitry noted.

"But you'd behave when your father gave that look."

"Imagine how it was..." Dmitry kept going. "Your long-forgotten past."

"We've lots and lots to teach you and the time is going fast!" They both echoed in the room.

"Let's see you walk. Head up!" I tried to stand up straight holding my chin up. "Now, shoulders back and stand up tall and do not walk, but try to float..." I noted all of the requirements and tried my hardest to achieve them.

"I feel a little foolish... Am I floating?" I asked, unsure.

"Like a sinking boat." Dmitry laughed, to which I let my arms fall to my sides and sighed. "You give a bow." I skipped the cordialities, I wouldn't bow to the boy who had been so rude to me.

"What happens now?" I demanded

"Your hand receives a kiss!" Vlad finished, laying a kiss on my hand. "Most of all remember this:" If I can learn to do it, you can learn to do it, something in you knows it, there's nothing to it! Follow in my footsteps, shoe by shoe, you can learn to do it too!" I tried to walk around the room as I had been thought, letting the feeling flood me over, waving my arms and letting my legs lead me wherever. Vlad imitated me, rather critically, looking like a dizzy duck.

"You're the ones who don't stand straight!" I yelled at them.

"It's all the years of bowing and kowtowing and court." Dmitry mocked, slightly bowing very inelegantly.

"Bowing is a sign of respect," Vlad replied.

"I'd never bow to someone..." He said proudly, whilst I picked my cloth skirt and bowed slowly and gracefully, unconscious of what I was doing. "Where did you learn that?" Dmitry asked, looking rather impressed. I stood tall once again, not knowing how to answer.

"I didn't teach her..." Vlad started. "She's a natural!" He then flew me to a chair in front of the little table. "Be seated, young lady!"

"Now, elbows in and sit up straight and do not slurp the stroganoff." He explained as I began applying every detail.

"I never cared for stroganoff..." I started.

"She said that like a Romanov!" Vlad shouted from the other side of the room.

"The samovar!" Dmitry yelled.

"The caviar!" Continued Vlad.

"Dessert and then goodnight?" I jumped in.

"Not until you get this right..." They chorused.

If I can learn to do it, you can learn to do it. Pull yourself together and we'll go through it, tell yourself it's easy and it's true! You can learn to do it too!

"Who is your great-grandmother?"

"Queen Victoria!"

"Your great-great-grandmother?"

"Uhhhh... Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld."

"Your best friend is?"

"My sister María and my little brother Alekséi!"

"Wrong! Your best friend is..." Dmitry interrupted.

"I know who my best friend is!" I replied, annoyed of the interruption in my work with Vlad.

"What a temper!" He dragged off.

"I don't like being contradicted!" I admitted.

"That makes two of us!" He scram.

"Continuing on!" Vlad tried to calm down the young boy as I took a seat.

"I've had it and I hate him! I'm sorry that we ever met, I'm hungry, I'm frightened and I'm only human don't forget! I don't remember anything, get out and let me be!" Dmitry was about to start a rage when Vlad cut him off.

"Anya, darling, look at me." I turned on the chair to look at him, slightly tired and annoyed. "We're all frightened, well slightly, now and then. Shall we start again? Take a breath, count to ten. You have courage and strength you barely know! So blow that little nose and dry those pretty eyes, a princess like your majesty can do this if she tries!" He said, him too, starting to get tired. "Ready?"

"Set?" Added Dmitry.

"Go!" I encouraged. "Now here's your great aunt Olga, how she frolicked on the Volga." The lesson began.

"Oh!"

"Your distant cousin Vanya loved his vodka!"

"Got it, Anya?" Dmitry asked.

"No..."

"The Duke of Oldenburg was short." Continued Vlad.

"Louis of Boden-"

"Had a-" I began.

"Wart." Dmitry finished my sentence.

"Count Sergei-" Started Vlad. "

Wore a feathered hat!" Finished Dmitry.

"I heard he's gotten very fat!" Vlad commented.

"And I recall his yellow cat!" I dozed off to my far of memories for a second beroe realising what I had remembered.

"I don't believe we told her that..." Vlad whispered.

If you can learn to do it, I can learn to do it! Saw you and I knew it! I'm glad you knew it. Suddenly I feel like, there's a chance...

"Not until you learn to dance!" Vlad cut off, placing me in front of Dmitry and placed our hands in place, where we stood for a few seconds before actually trying to dance.

"And ah- 1...2...3... 1...2...3... 1...2...3..." He moved ungracefully and kept tense and rigid, keeping his gaze on the abyss.

"Ow!" I yelled as he stomped on my foot, I turned and threw a pleading look at Vlad.

"Just, just..." He made a movement with his hands as to forget it and so we continued again. "And ah- 1...2...3... 1...2...3... 1...2...3..." 

"Ow!" Dmitry screamed after I 'accidentally' stomped his foot.

"Anya!" Vlad shouted sandwiching me in between them both. "And ah- 1...2...3... 1...2...3... 1...2...3..." He then retreated and left us to dance, I smirked as he left and directed the dance quicker towards him, as to pursue him, laughter exploded through the room and I remembered the feeling of laughing among friends. Dmitry then lifted me off my feet, twirling me in the air, making my stomach feel butterflies. "We have only just begun! The Polka dear!" Vlad and I began stomping and jumping around the area, along with laughs and giggles "Dmitry!" With that call, I was sandwiched again between them both and we spun around the room, making me a little dizzy. At the end of the dance them both lifting me off the floor and I drowning in laughter after a short scream.

If I can learn to do it! You can learn to do it! Pull yourself together and we'll go through it! Tell yourself it's easy and it's true! You can learn to do it... Nothing to it! You can learn to do it!

"The caviar, the stroganoff, the samovar, the feathered hat, the cousin drank, the duke was short, here a wart and there a cat, the horse's name was Romeo, so tell me something new." I stood on top of a chair as I listed all of the things I had learnt, by memory, rather happily. "

You can learn to do it, too!" They chorused as we all held our hands in victory.

"Très bien, mademoiselle, très bien." Vlad said, congratulating me on french, a language I had studied, long ago and still can't understand how I remember it.

"Merci, monsieur, merci." I bowed as I thanked him before returning to the chair to grab my sweater.

"Vous parles français?" He asked, amazed with every little discovery.

"Un peu." I replied, very confused and went back to tiding up.

"She's charming!" Vlad testified.

"What were you telling her?" Dmitry asked more confused than what I was.

"Oh, the aristocrats all spoke french, Dmitry. Russian was for common people like you." Vlad added. "You get to sleep on the sack of lentils tonight, Anya. You've earned it!" He told me as he affectionately patted my head. "Bonne niut, ma chère. Tomorrow, we begin again!" He parted as he said this along the hall.

"In Russian, for the common man." Dmitry continued slightly annoyed. In my head all that functioned, repeated; 'you were born in a palace by the sea...'.

"Could it be?"

**Gleb's point of view.**

The conversation between the officer and I had just been going on for a few minutes, but it was already beginning to tire me.

"Thank you, sir. Your confidence in me will be justified." I looked around, at the new place of work I had finally won by my hard work. "My own office, with a view of the Nevsky Prospect and a Russian telephone that works! Hahaha..." I joked. "That was a joke. We have wonderful telephones."

"She's here." A soldier announced, which in a way relieved me, for this conversation could be cut short.

"Sir, our little troublemaker has been found." After this, I hanged the phone and proceeded to walk away from my desk and look through the massive window in front of me, as the girl was pushed inside. She stood there, trembling and pale as the snow. "It's a remarkable city, our Leningrad," I commented, slightly depressed for it not being the Petersburg I had known ten years ago under the rule of my dearest Tahsia. "All those people down there, coming and going," I began, as I remembered the beautiful memories I kept with my Tahsia. "creating a future for themselves. I stand at this window for hours, admiring them," Which was true, I admired their humble lives, the clear land they had to build a future, one I didn't have. "and wondering why a few bad apples are getting to mischief instead." I turned a little to face her as I explained. "I can see all the way to the old Yusupov palace, funny business going on there." She still stood there, unable to function or move. "Counter-revolutionary behaviours, someone says-"

"Why was I brought here?" She walked closer to me, holding her chin up and standing straight and serene.

"I thought you could tell me, comrade." I snapped back, to the girl who so much reminded me of the love I once lost. "You. The frightened little street sweeper!" I laughed a little as she looked at the floor then at me. "I'd almost-" I began, waving my arms, but stopped and retrieved, gave a look to the pair of soldiers standing like statues in my office and with both my hands made a pushing-like movement for them to leave after they did I returned to my conversation. "I'd almost stopped looking for you on the Nevsky Prospect." I walked closer to her, until we were just about a meter apart, maybe less. "Anya, am I right?"

"Yes," She said, her arms stuck to her sides, still as a doll, yet trembling like a flower. "I'm deputy commissioner Gleb Vaganov," I said as I stretched my hand out, I believed deep down, that maybe, just maybe, she could be my lost Tahsia. She stood there, looking at my hand as if touching it would kill her. "It's the uniform and the office that give a bad impression. I'm really not so bad." I mentioned rapidly, trying to feel her welcome. "See, I have a sense of humour." I joined the tips of my fingers together, slightly creating a triangle, hoping, that she would laugh and prove my point that she is my lost Tahsia, with the little giggles that used to escape from her perfect mouth. "Hahaha..." I laughed nervously as she stood there, without flinching, I moved closer to her and presented my hand again, this time, she took it. "You're trembling again," I said as the coldness of her porcelain hand hit like electricity through mine. "a friendly cup of tea will warm us both up." I showed her to my desk, where a tray with a kettle and two tin mugs awaited to be filled.

"What is the charge?" She asked, rather lively as she followed me fast as the light.

"Oh, there is no charge," I said to her as I sat on the other side of the desk and poured some tea in a couple of mugs. "Why should there be?" I asked intrigued, but she limited herself to sit and warm her hands around the mug. "You have a job, food on the table and a place to sleep..." I said, knowing that she had no job anymore, that she slept on the streets and barely ate.

"I'm very thankful," She fixed her gaze on the mug and left my sentence hanging.

"Which is why I'm warning you, to leave your world of make-believe, before its too late." She took a long sip, before curling up and trying to make herself disappear.

"I don't understand," she began, acting as she was oblivious and lost her gaze in fantasy only she could see.

"If you really were who you were pretending to be," I began, but broke off and turned to my window, to finish it without any tears in my eyes. "they would kill you. Without hesitation."

"Everyone imagines being someone else," She said, still lost in her own world, holding on to the mug as if was the elixir to life and she was barely in between both worlds. "it's an innocent enough fantasy."

"No, Anya, a dangerous one." I corrected her. "The Romanovs are gone," I kept facing the window, but faced her back, with the most serious face I could wear. "every last one of them. They do not longer exist." She looked back at me, with a wondering gaze on her face. "My father was one of the guards." She stood up and tried to pace away.

"I don't want to hear this..." She tried to leave, but her feet stopped dry in the middle of the room as If a bolt of lightning had stroked her with deep thought.

"When he was told to fire," I said, my face tensing and my jaw clenching under the horrors I witnessed that night. "he obeyed orders." Anya took the chair one last time and I stood next to my desk, as I recalled the events of those painful months.

_Be very careful of these rumours that prevail, be very careful what you say. I was a boy who lived the truth behind the tale and no one got away. I saw the children as the soldiers closed the gate, the youngest daughter and her pride. My father leaving on the night they met their fate, his pistol by his side... The Nèva flows, a new wind blows and soon it will be spring. The leaves unfold, the Tsar lies cold. A revolution is a simple thing. I heard the shots, I heard the screams, but it was the silence after, I remember most. The world stopped breathing and I was no longer a boy. My father shook his head and told me not to ask, my mother says he died of shame, but I believe he did a proud and vital task and in my father's name, the Nèva flows, a new wind blows and soon it will be spring. The leaves unfold, the Tsar lies cold. Could I have pulled the trigger, If I'd been told... Be careful what a dream may bring. A revolution is a simple thing._

She sat in the chair, analyzing every single detail I had told her. "But a revel is much more complex..." She whispered under her breath and my brain clicked for a brief second.

"What did you say?" I asked as she approached me.

"Nothing..." She shook her head, making her brown locks swing and splash on her face. "Thank you for the tea and the warning, comrade." I looked at her before brushing the air with my hand.

"It's Gleb," She stood, unsure of what to do or say. "please." She then lowered her head with a tiny smile on her face and a frown morphing in her face before she looked back at me and said.

"Gleb." She very rapidly then lowered her head, as if something were to happen any second now she locked eyes with me for a second and with one single finger I held her chin up to scan the whole look, for I had seen it before.

"Your eyes, a man can look right into them," I commented

"I- I should go... It's late." She said in between murmurs. It was nearly ten o'clock.

"It is rather late. As deputy commissioner Gleb Vaganov, be careful Anya," She began to walk past me, but I gently held her arm for a moment. "As your friend, be very careful." She walked through the door and disappeared in no time.

**Anastahsiya's point of view.**

The streets were very dark at this time of night, I hadn't left the office's street when distant noises came closer to me, at first I didn't give them much attention as my mind was busy with trying to figure out where I had heard the name Gleb Vaganov before. Why was it that I felt safe whenever I was around him? Anyway, I had to tell Vlad and Dmitry what he had told me, I needed to get to Paris, I needed to find out who I was. He stood on the road I had left him when the officers took my arms and dragged me to Gleb's office.

"Hey," His voice was dry and tense as he looked behind me, hoping there wouldn't be any guards following. "What happened?"

"They know," I commenced, he stared back at me slightly nervous. "they know what we're doing, they know we're staying at Yusupov palace..." 

"Who? Don't you have a name?" He asked when we were trespassing to a group of drunk men.

"I- I didn't catch It..." I don't know why I lied, but I couldn't bring myself forward to betray a friend...

"Look who it is, the prince of Petersburg!" One of the men said, waving around a bottle of Vodka.

"We thought you were in Paris." Another drunk man yelled.

"He missed his old partners in crime." The man with the glass bottle continued.

"Looks like he got himself a new giiiiiirlfriiiieeend." Another drunk guy said after being silent for the whole conversation. They all elongated their neck to look at me.

"He's not my-" I commenced, as I echoed along with Dmitry.

"She's not my girlfriend." He interrupted them as he tried to walk past them, leaving me at the centre of a wolf pack.

"It's Anastahsiya herself!" A man yelled. I tried to grab Dmitry's arm and leave.

"Come on Dmitry, I don't like these people." I began to walk away when a man blocked my way. 

"Going somewhere, sweetheart?" The man with a breath stinking to alcohol approached me and held my arms tight against my sides, all I could think of was screaming and trying to break free in any way I could.

"If you don't want her Dmitry, I'll take her!" A man pushed him to the floor. I yanked one of my arms free before throwing my fist against his nose and finally escaping his grip. The rest of the men came towards me, My arms threw punches and slapped faces, throwing the men to the floor. I shut my eyes and ran around screaming, as they run away.

"Next time I won't go so easy!" I yelled. I closed my eyes for a brief second before opening them widely after feeling another pair of hands hold my arms, yet this time they felt comforting and warm, but I still placed a resistance and tried to break free, keeping my eyes shut tightly.

"What happened?" My eyes opened to focus on Gleb's face.

**Gleb's point of view.**

From the screaming windows, I could observe the furious commotion of a group of drunk men and the street sweeper, Anya. She was walking alongside someone, a rapid memory of my Tahsia and I, happily and then it faded. That girl wasn't like my Tahsia, though I couldn't tell if this was my judgement of my mind trying to convince itself. The man she walked with got shoved out of the way and ran away, coward. I fled to my coat and slammed the door behind me as I ran to Anya, though she seemed to have everything under control.

"What happened?" I asked Anya as she covered her shut eyes with her hands, with bloody knuckles. She loosened her arms as I grasped them, inspecting the wounds.

"I..." She let her hands fall behind her. "I'm fine. I can take care of myself, I didn't travel across Russia on my own without learning how to take care of myself."

"I don't doubt it, but I would feel better if I could accompany you home." Anya nodded slowly. I began leading her towards my own home as I knew she had nowhere to go, she didn't seem to realize as she walked wondering her own problems in her head with a long neck and sparkling chocolate eyes. Her lips slightly moving repeatedly, like murmuring beneath her breath...


	8. Could it be?

**Gleb's point of view.**

FLASHBACK - 10th of March 1918

* * *

The gardens were quiet as the sun settled down, and though the clouds began to darken and it began to get chillier Tahsia kept galloping on Romeo, behind her Maria shouting to go faster, I followed her at a slower pace, keeping watch of her and her sister, as a good soldier would do.

"Your Majesties! I believe we should be returning soon, it seems as if it were to rain!" I called to the girls racing along the fields.

"Oh come on Glebka! Just five more minutes?" Maria asked with puppy eyes, I straightened as to get taller than her, only my Tashia could call me Glebka, no one else.

"I don't know Maria, the weather doesn't seem on our side tonight, maybe we should go..." Tashia knows I care for her and that I only seek for her well being. 

"Anya! Fine, you go ride with your _beloved_ ," She said childishly as Tahsia ran towards me and climbed on the back of the horse.

"Come Maria, I bet you we can get back to the palace faster than you!" Maria seemed intrigued, she made the horse do a full turn and face us.

"What's in it for me?" The girl asked. Tashia laced her slim arms around me, making me feel complete once again.

"Mmmm... I'll let you have my dessert tonight!" Maria's expression brightened as she began to slowly make her way to us, before she arrived to our side she scram.

"You're on!" Her horse began galloping and I felt Tashia giggle and hold on tighter as she held her hat on her head to prevent it from flying away. 

We galloped neck to neck with Maria before arriving identically to the palace gardens. An outside hall elevated by a sequence of columns shielded us from the oncoming storm. After we left the horses at the stables, the thunder roared across the air, challenging us to come out.

"Oh my! That's a great storm coming..." Maria commented as she peeked through the table's window. Another thunder came after the lightning, making the whole shack shook and Tashia's arms wrap around my neck as she began murmuring under her breath.

"Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. God the Father in heaven, have mercy on us.God the Son, redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us." I held her tightly as I sang with her the reciting of the prayer 'litany of the most holy trinity.'

END OF FLASHBACK.

* * *

I hadn't realised we were practically arriving to my street, the same old snowy roads and the same four old walls that I had known since I can remember. I looked back at Anya, she trembled and held her purple-ish hands to her dried lips.

"We're nearly there," I mentioned as I retreated to follow her timid pace, my hands fled rapidly to my coat, as to not let her refuse it, and placed it over her. "I'll light a fire once we're there. "

"We're at your house?" Anya stopped dry on the road and turned around as to recognise her surroundings, "You live here?" Her face turned backwards to me as she fixes her eyes in the hospital a few miles away, you could only see the cement cube with a million tiny windows, windows I had observed for months waiting for my Tashia, windows I had scrambled at when they told me the girl that had come died a few days after.

"I didn't suppose you were well enough to walk to your house." I didn't want to be rude to her and startle her by telling her all I knew, there was something in her, i couldn't say what, that reminded me so very much of my dearest Tashia.

"You live by the Silver Hill medical institution? " her lips still trembling as she interrogated me. I welcomed her in the humble walls were my nightmares ruled over me, haunting me with images of my Tahsia.

"I suppose I do. Got any relatives there? Working I hope." I remarked to make sure i was still polite. I fled from one side to the other of the floor, picking wood for the fire and turning on the lights.

"I was instituted there..."

**Anastahsia's point of view.**

I don't know what made me say that, I hadn't told anybody, not even Vlad and Dmitri, I only told them what was necessary. Not one more detail. Gleb was working on the fire but froze and looked at me with a fallen face.

"You... you were instituted there?" Gleb walked towards me with a fixed sight, he picked something from his cloak fallen on my shoulders and opened his wallet, he pointed at a small picture. "Did you see a girl who looks like this?" The picture of a beautiful girl with dark locks and an innocent look in her eyes with a full life of luxury and happiness expressed on a wide smile.

"I... I..." I stumbled over and fell on a couch with a small scream and stood up hurriedly. "I can't tell..." he looked disappointed, but signalled the couch for me to sit. His eyes glistened as he stared at the picture. "Did you love her?" He didn't tear his eyes of the picture.

"No, I wouldn't call it love, it's so mundane and what we had... it was something celestial, worthy of the angels..."

"I know what you mean," I began as I wrapped my legs to rest my chin upon them. "I loved-" i stopped to correct myself, he would still be alive, he had to be, or else i would be dead too. "I love someone that way,"

"No, Anya. This is not a simple love you have with that guy who runs away when you're threatened. " he snapped at me sitting in the bed which was pushed on one of the walls. I stood to my feet and walked to him with my chin held high.

"You don't know anything about me, Mr.Vaganov. That guy you saw me with is just a friend of a friend, I barely stand him." He looked up to me annoyed and stood up to feel taller, but I still hadn't finished so I kept holding my pride. "When I woke up in the hospital, scared and alone, I couldn't remember anything, who I was or who I would be. The nurses told me i had amnesia and I've been fighting my whole life to get through..." I stopped when his expression changed and morphed into hopeful bright eyes. I sat on the couch again, secretly fidgeting with the locket I had always with me and wondered if I should show him... For some reason I felt I could trust him.

"I'm sorry Anya." He let his body fall on to the bed as he held a deep sigh and swept his face with the palm of his hand. "I lost my loved one in that hospital, though I can't bring myself forward to realizing she's gone," he looked back at the girl's picture. "Oh, what a beautiful forbidden love we had. She was from the higher class and I a simple boy, but how we broke the rules to see each other." I held the warm metal box in my hand but dropped it. I couldn't be sure yet.


	9. A change of heart?

**Gleb's point of view.**

She trembled on the ginormous couch as she held her fist tightly. Why had I brought her here? Why did I reveal so much to her? Why did she reveal so much too?

"I need to get to Paris Gleb..." My face shifted as I stared at her blankly, she extended her fist, still red and I hurried to get some alcohol and a cloth but she stopped me. "I need you to vow to me that I can trust you." She said very firmly. I fled to fetch the alcohol and a cloth and when I came back I answered her.

"Anya, you can trust me, I swear..." why did I feel so relieved when her expression morphed into affection for a brief second? Why did I swear something I knew I couldn't keep? Her fist opened as a sparkling ball fell on my hand. A diamond. She waited like a child to be reprehended, I wanted to fully interrogate her, but I had to do it some way she wouldn't get scared or defensive. As there was a long pause she broke the silence, with a certain calm voice trailing through the air.

"The nurse found it sewn to my nightgown, apparently it was the only thing I was wearing..." I interrupted her softly, kept anxious for answers. She wondered whether to carry on but something caught her eye and made her drift to a small coffee table, I had forgotten to tidy it up. "Why do you have these?" She demanded, with tears in her eyes and a trembling hand holding an envelope, it stood untouched, just as I left it, there was nothing it could be recognized by, a simple blank envelope. "Why!" I stood with wide eyes.

"Do you recognise them?" I asked not knowing how to react, my heart aching and thundering inside of my chest.

"I asked first, why do you have them?" She kept weeping and demanding. I tried to get closer but she turned her back on me and kept weeping. After a few instants, she calmed down and began talking as she left the envelope as if no one had touched them. "Those are my letters." She mentioned simply, I took them in my hands and sat opposite to her.

"Could... could you describe some of them?" I muttered, she looked up at me with fiery daring eyes. "I just want to prove one thing, I'll tell you right after. You have my word." She seemed to be unconvinced, but brought her knees to her chin and recited.

"Well... most of them talk about secret meetings at a park not too far from here, I still visit it often, I feel like maybe I'll find my love there again. But... there was one... I was thanking him for a present he had given me..." my hand reached for my locket, but I continued. "The last one I can remember... I wanted to see him urgently... we had gotten engaged... he had gifted me a ring... but..." I drifted off to my memories and the darkness drowned me leaving me without air and making me scream. "But their guns pointed at us and I lost him..." My arms covered my face, my eyes shut tightly and suddenly left out a cry. "My Glebka..." I fell to the bed in sobs and repeated. "YA budu lyubit' tebya v etoy zhizni I v sleduyushchey." _[I'll love you, in this life and in the next one.]_ "My Glebka" After a few moments I opened my eyes to find Gleb sat on the floor by the bed holding a cup filled with warm tea, his eyes sunk in his face. I made to get up but she pushed me to the bed and helped me incorporate by placing a few pillows behind me, he then sat on the other edge of the bed. He stared back at me and showed a soft smile as he asked.

"Tahsia?" As his eyes shone with hope and love I felt the recognition of that caring look, I remembered the feeling of those warm arms wrapped around me and my mind clicked, a thousand images and memories came back to me making me experience a thousand emotions at the same time, I hurriedly exposed my locket and unwrapped it from my neck for us both to see. My hands opened it revealing the ring and the young boy, Gleb, my Glebka.

"You never stopped looking for me?" I asked drowning in tears. He placed the girl's picture on the empty space of the locket as he softly laughed.

"Never my love," he placed the ring on my finger and let out a sigh. "You know... this would've gotten you a few cans of beans or a warm bed for a few months at least."

"I know... when I was very desperate I thought about it. But something inside me told me I couldn't get rid of it, it was something bigger than me, I felt too attached to it, to the last fragment of you I had." We embraced each other, holding our souls bare.

"My Anastasia... how I've missed you, my love."

After some minutes of talking and remembering our encounters I jumped. "Wait!" Glebka rose slowly enjoying my expression. "You... you called me..." He thought for a second before realizing what he had done, my eyes wide as the moon, his hands holding my shoulders softly.

"Shhh... I know..." I embraced him in between sobs.

"Am... am I?" I swallowed slowly.

"I know it's a lot to take in..." He began, his humble eyes resting upon mine. "Sit down for a bit." After a few minutes, I felt strong enough to continue our conversation I took a long sip from the cup of tea.

"Why..." He looked at me intrigued with all my trembling words. "At your office, you... you said that you- they would kill me with no hesitation..." I remembered his cold trembling voice as he stared off the window.

"I'll get us out of here, somehow..." He began pacing and scrambling papers around. "Uhh... 300 rubles..." He began noting and fluttering paper around. "And a thousand more from last month..." He stopped after a few moments and tapped his finger on the table and ran to a room out of my sight, I took another long sip of the tea and sat on a wooden chair opposite the rambunctious action Glebka was taking and observed in surprise how scattered around there were rubles bills and a few coins. "As I thought," He entered the room and placed a wooden box in the middle of the table. I looked at it curiously and faded off to a past time.

_Memory extract 1816 (Anastasia is 15 and Gleb is 17)._

Glebka and I were sat on a grassy hill, Romeo tied to a tree, with a few bags falling from his riding seat. I was against an oak tree reading a poetry book out loud along with the melody of my music box, as Glebka scribbled in a notebook, fully concentrated. My hair long reaching to touch the grass beneath us had been decorated by a few flowers Glebka had positioned meticulously for his drawing. His pencil had been quiet a few minutes when I spoke.

"Are you done?" I asked after closing the book and placing it on my lap.

"Oh yes, a while ago actually." He smirked mischievously as I let my mouth fall wide open and closed my book shut.

"You've made me re-read _'Lyrical Ballads'_ three times when you were finished?" He laughed in response and I answered by hitting him softly with the book. "Well let me see."

"Oh!" He stood up in a rush and hid the picture behind his back. "Nope, I have a different plan for this." He ran backwards to Romeo to hide the paper form me, I stood with my arms crossed over my chest slightly mad at him, but never enough to show it. He took a little wooden box from one of the bags and placed the drawing there.

"It'll be like a time machine," He explained as he came closer to me and I inspected the wooden box. "We'll place here a few items and then when we're older we'll open it and remember all of these good times." We both sat opposite each other as we emptied a bag full of our treasures.

"Wait!" I ran to grab the music box and placed it delicately in the wooden box. "This, from when we first kissed," I said slightly coloured at my cheeks as I remembered the beautiful moment. Gleb came closer to me and kissed me smiling.

"The letter you wrote to me about the locket." He placed a parchment on the box and little by little we filled the box. The secretive drawing at the end of the box, my music box on top, a letter I wrote to Glebka, a few pressed flowers from a bouquet he had gifted me after a parade, the handkerchief I made him when he got admitted in the army and a picture my sister Tatiana took for us, showing me sitting in a chair with one of my best gowns and Glebka in his uniform and a few badges (laying in the box too) his hand laying in my shoulder.

"Do you think we'll be married by when we open this?" I asked Glebka as he closed the box with a golden key.

"I'm certain, maybe we'll even have our own family." He kissed my forehead softly brushing his lips on my skin.

_End of memory extracts._

I remembered mostly what was in the box, how could that be? Gleb sat fussily on the bed his head held in his hands.

"You never showed me..." I began, staring at the box as Gleb walked to me and tried to read my mind from my focused look. "There's a drawing in there." His eyes softened as he smiled and took my hand in his.

"You're beginning to remember?" He asked as he took the box in his hands and twisted it.

"Just little things, not much," I answered as I walked towards the box and trailed the mouth of the lock with my finger.

"When I left you at the hospital," Gleb began as to answer my internal question. "I couldn't let anyone find you, so I threw the key to the Néva." He said with a regretful sigh, I ran to the door and hang his cloak over me, leaving the door a little bit open for him to follow. "Where are you going?"

"The oak tree!" He looked puzzled but ran towards me leaving his house locked behind him. "I think I remembered something important," I told him as he caught up to me. We walked through the snowy road until we reached that old oak tree I laid at twelve years ago. When we were there Glebka continued to look confused, as I signalled him to sit next to the tree, I sat against the trunk and his face morphed into familiar amazement. "Here we filled the box," I began.

"And sixteen feet from here, we buried a key." He said searching.

"No, not from here." I corrected before running a little downhill, I closed my eyes and tried to remember. At first, all I could see was the same scenery in a warmer season, coloured trees and flowers. And a fountain. A fountain with the Greek God of love Eros. I opened my eyes to find Gleb next to me, I looked around, the only fountain on the zone was a sad grey stone pyramid, frozen to the core. I approached it bringing Glebka with me. "From here." Gleb stood there waiting for something wonderful to happen but he kept a blank gaze. "Is my memory really going to be better than yours?" I laughed, he threw me a caring warning look. "Before there was a statue, of Eros, he was pointing somewhere, and there we buried it, but..." Gleb understood and finished my sentence.

"It's gone, so how do we find it." I tried to think, remember. Come on Anya! this is important, it's part of you you can remember, the moon shone bright, making everything seem silvery. That's it.

"The moon," I whispered Gleb turned around to the sky.

"Yes, it's rather late, maybe-" He began as he pulled childishly at his cloak that laid over me to make me turn, but I flung to the snow sparkling under the moon and measured approximately how the statue would've pointed and walked sixteen steps from there before shoving away the snow with my hands. "Here, let me." Gleb kneeled next to me and dug in the soil until something made him stop. "You're a genius, bless you, my love!" He whispered softly full of enthusiasm as he hid a small object folded on a paper and kicked the snow over again. We ran home in giggles and smiles.

We were nearly at Gleb's house in noisy laughs and sweet _I love you_ 's, the door stood locked behind us, Gleb twirled me win his arms, making me remember all of the times he used to do it and still making me feel the same butterflies, I felt his nose touch mine and for a second I melted into his deep eyes as his face tilted slightly and we both submerged into our hidden desire of meeting again.

"I love you, Glebka," I said after we broke apart from our embraced kiss.

"How I've missed those words out of your mouth, my love." With that, we both entered his house once again, which now felt oddly familiar, the smell of firewood being consumed, ink and warm tea being brewed.

He took the key and opened the little chest, revealing all of our treasures. He took the drawing he had made and teased me, like when we were younger, holding the drawing out of my reach as I jumped to try and grab it.

"Show me!" I demanded, he inspected the drawing and then handed it to me. I absorbed every detail of it, my small chin and lovely locks of hair. "I look so different..." I began, Gleb looked at me lovingly and joked.

"No, no, here you look different." He pointed at the photograph my sister took of us, oh how handsome did Glebka look. "You look so sweet, but you were a troublemaker, you little girl!" He laughed, I hit his chest gently as I held a laugh. In the box, my fingers found a little handkerchief.

"Oh, dear! This is from when you were accepted isn't it?" I asked smiling as I unfolded the cotton fabric, Gleb nodded softly before handing me a little box.

"This-" He began before I interrupted him.

"Nana!" I sighed softly. He laughed a soft yes, happy to see me remember. My eye caught the yellow-ish colour of some dried flowers.

"It was June," Gleb began as I held the flowers very cautiously. "I was ten, I still think of that day, now and then. A parade and a girl, and a crowd, of thousands." He said observing me with his head tilted slightly. "She sat straight, as a queen. Only eight, but so proud and serene." He giggled in between, stealing a smile from me. "How they cheered, how I stared, In a crowd of thousands." He said shaking his head smiling widely. "Then I started to run, and to call out her name as the crowd on the road went wild. I reached out with my hand and looked up," He intensified his speech as he held my hands and made me dance around the table, a few giggles escaping my mouth. "and then she smiled!" And I did. "The parade, travelled on, with the sun in my eyes she was gone, but I knew, even then, in that crowd of thousands, I'd find her again." I closed my eyes and held the flowers to my nose.

"A parade..." I began, Gleb hugged me closely as we danced slowly across the room.

"A parade." He repeated.

"Passing by," I turned to him leaving the bouquet on the table.

"Passing by!" He moved his hands across the air as he held my arms to dance.

"It was hot, not a cloud in the sky." I began with my chin up, dismissively. "Then a boy caught my eye. In a crowd of thousands." I said looking back at him as I smiled and he laughed softly. "He was thin, not too clean." I teased him wrinkling my nose as he rolled his eyes sarcastically. "There were guards but he dodged in between, yes he made himself seen, in that crowd of thousands," I remembered, closing my eyes, softly as I tried to remember, I frowned a little. "Then he called out my name and he started to run, through the air and the heat and crowd." Gleb noticed my expression and sat me down on the bed, still hugging me. "I tried not to smile, but I smiled..." I felt Gleb smiling on my hair, I opened my eyes, thinking I had finished, but then something that made me giggle a little came back, and staring at him I added. "And then," Gleb searched me over and over again, looking for answers, my eyes wide open. "he bowed!" Gleb hugged me so hard I fell on the mattress along with him.

"Soon my dear, we'll be free like back then." He planted a soft kiss in my lips and with that, he led me to the secret room were I would be sleeping.


	10. Turning my back on you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, i know but you will be surprised... jajajaja

**Dmitri's point of view.**

"I need to get to Paris..." Anya's voice quietly emerged from the house I had found in my way back home, I tried to listen in closer, but all I could hear now was a strong male's murmurs. So this was it right? After all, I had taught her, after all I had done for her, she goes and turns her back on me? She was the only way I had of leaving... The only way I would become rich... But now we'll see who turns their backs on who. I quickened my walk back to the house I had left Vlad at, but walked past it to a phone cabin.

"Hello? Police department?" I asked rather quietly for no one to start rumours about me.

"Yes." The voice on the other side of the telephone rang.

"I want to report suspicious actions involving the Romanovs." The man over the line simply delivered an address and an hour to visit it, along with the remark that if my information was considered valuable, I would be rewarded. After I hung the phone I dragged myself back to my place but decided to stop by at a bar and grab a drink. The place was filled with the rats of Petersburg, all celebrating another day of being alive. I thought of the money I had earned today for the train to Paris, I wouldn't need it anymore.

"Wa'da ya want comrade?" A rounded, toothless man asked with a drunken voice.

"Give me a half of vodka," I shouted across the wooden counter lined with beer jars and whiskey bottles halfway emptied as I searched my pockets for the money to pay.

"Celebrating?" The man asked as he placed the cristal bottle on the counter.

"Yeah," I thought for a second as I left the money on the counter and grabbed the bottle by the neck. "Something like that." With that, I left the brightness of the place back to the darkness of the night. I held the bottle to my lips and drank as I had never done before, swallowing with every step I took. I entered the apartment, tripping with every step I took along the stairs when I arrived at the door my hands shook, trying to place the key on the lock, but before I opened the door Vlad appeared at the other side, his face drawn with fear and preoccupation. "Ah, Vlad! Great, I still have some vodka left to celebrate!"

"Where's Anya?" He asked simply closing the door behind him as I let myself fall in the couch.

"Ah, she's going to Paris Vlad!" I said taking another long sip of vodka.

"Did you let her out there? She could get hurt!" Vlad scram frantically.

"Nah, Nah, Nah. She's fine there, next to the hospital." I signalled to the abyss, still drinking from my bottle. "There's a man, they're going to Paris and we're going to rot here."

"God, Dmitry," Vlad said as he disappeared from the room, leaving me to drink from my bottle. "The only one rotting here is you." He said as he ran from one place to another.

"Oh, Nah! My friend, I am going to be rich and famous in all of Russia!" I scram opening my arms, I went to take another drink of vodka, and just realised I finished the whole bottle.

"What are you saying?" Vlad began, he then approached me and stared into my soul. "Dear me, what have you done?" He retreated fearfully.

"I've done what I had to, Vlad! She has turned her back on us! She'll have to deal with the Bolshevik army and face the consequences." Vlad took a suitcase, which he had, apparently prepared and faced to the door.

"I hope you can live with yourself, Dima." He dropped his key on a table and took the doorknob. "I really hope you can. I wish you the best, my old friend." As he closed the door I threw the glass bottle to the door, making it shatter in a million pieces.

"Fine! It's not like I needed you, more riches for me then!" I scram into the air.

* * *

The sun glistened through the glass window, as I woke up the alcohol from the day before rushed to my head. There was no turning back now. It took me a while to change and get out of the apartment to find the location I had been given. It led to a small cafe, where I identified an officer sat on a table with a notebook and tapping his pen. I approached the sean and he indicated for me to sit opposite.

"Name?" A strong male voice asked.

**Gleb's point of view.**

That morning I had left Tahsia back at home, to deal with an urgent new rumour of the Romanovs, I would have to deal with it quickly and find a way to flee. I arrived at the cafe and ordered a simple black coffee to warm me up, the man who was supposed to come arrived a few hours late, which left me time to arrange my bills and figure out how I could take my Tahsia and I out of here without any suspicions. After a while, a man entered the cafe with a searching look and froze when he saw me, I proceeded to show him his seat and asked.

"Name?" I barely looked at him until his voice rang, showing his obvious hungover.

"Dmitry Sidorov." I looked up to him and found myself face to face with the man that had left my Tahsia alone on the streets.

"You are aware that your unpunctuality will affect my judgement on your declarations," I commented as I scribbled on my notebook a report against him for the disturbance of the peace and false declarations.

"I have an important statement," he then began whispering. "there is a girl, not very tall, she seems innocent from the outside, but don't you trust her appearances. She's crazy that one, a madwoman, I'm telling you." He then came closer and whispered even more quietly. "She goes around saying that she's the lost princess, Anastasia." He then slowly retreated to his seat analyzing my unchanging expression and my pen still writing. "So, what are you going to do?" he said as he tapped his fingers on the table.

"I will give you a warning, comrade. Next time you try to waste our time we won't be so generous." I stood up and made to leave but his hand stopped me as he said.

"Aren't you going to arrest her? She's destroying our good Lenningard!" He hissed.

"The only one disturbing peace here, comrade, is you. Now let me be or not only will I give a warning about you, but I'll file a report for harassment to an officer." With that, I left wondering how someone could hold so much anger and hate within themselves.


	11. We must leave!

_**Gleb's point of view.** _   


I rushed back to the house in the hills, a plan morphing in my head as I tried to keep my nerves under control. We would need to flee as soon as possible, but Tahsia was in no condition of doing so, she needed new clothes, warmer ones, we would need an excuse to leave... Mmmm, that's it! I'll just say I had to take an unlimited rest from work to visit my mother, it's been years since I last saw her, she had fleed Russia to go to Paris, but I had refused to leave without my Tahsia. We would need tickets, that wouldn't be so hard. Through the walk, I entered a clothing store to see if I could find some kind of clothing that would keep Tahsia warm through the journey. The place was filled with cotton skirts and nightgowns and I realised I had no idea what I was looking for. A lady on the other side of the counter asked if I needed any help, to which I wanted to answer eagerly, but I was still part of the most feared humans in Russia, which is why I had to keep my reputation.

"I just need to find a warm item of clothing, my..." I stopped, I couldn't say girlfriend, was she my girlfriend? It didn't matter, no one could know about her. My sister? everyone knows I don't have a sister... "My time is short, so I won't bother you much..." Great improvisation Gleb, my inner voice said sarcastically. The lady smiled flirtatiously as she walked closer to me.

"Follow me then." The store was small, but she showed me a few boxes holding coats, petticoats, skirts and aprons, but I needed something more versatile that she would be able to use in Paris too and, most importantly that she would like.

"No, look I wanted something more versatile..." I thought of my Tahsia with gleaming eyes, "and special, very special." The girl darkened her gaze upon me and asked an older lady to show me something, she left trying to act proud and important, but nothing compared to how my Tahsia could get mad, or happy or excited... Noting.

This was it, the older lady had shown me what I needed, yes, it was simple, but it would do, for now, my Tahsia would get anything she desired once we were out of the spotlight. It was a simple cotton dress, thick enough for the Parisian winter and yet, with a woollen jacket, she would survive the Russian summer. It was a beautiful fern green that would contrast her chocolate locks perfectly. I took it with me and ran back home.

_**Anastasia's point of view.** _   


It had only been a couple of hours since Glebka had left, but I managed to make the bed I slept in, organize the mess we had made with the table and the bed in that little room, place all of the little treasures back in the box and brew some tea for when Glebka came back. I sat on the bed, leaning my head on the concrete wall, I felt a paper crumble against me, I thought I had emptied all of my belongings into the wooden box, but I was wrong, I stretched my arms over my back trying to reach the little paper attached to my nightgown, it was a passage from 'Wuthering Heights' written in Glebka's handwriting with black ink, reading 

_"I love the ground under her feet, and the air above her head, and everything she touches, and every word she says; I love all her looks and all her actions, and her entirely, and altogether."_

I tried to remember why I had this and unexpectedly found myself drowning in the darkness.

_Memory extract 1817 (Anastasia is 16 and Gleb is 18)._   


The palace was a quiet place when _mama_ and _papa_ left along with my oldest sisters and younger brother. I had little to do and since Maria was now a grown-up, as she was 18 years old now, she had to stay in and manage the house, as well as take care of me, but we both knew that wasn't going to happen, I wouldn't be babysat while I could be using my time a better way. I stayed most of my time in the garden, reading next to Romeo. 'Wuthering Heights' I had stolen it from my mother's library that same morning and would leave it back this afternoon when I would've probably finished it. It made me became aware of how lucky I was to have Glebka with me, right now it had been 4 months since he was sent to do some kind of training assessment far from here, it had left me devastated, I was alone, _mama_ and _papa_ had left with Olga, Tatiana and Aleksei, Maria was too busy taking care of the house to pay attention to me and my love... I didn't even know how he was doing... I had cried myself to sleep too many times since he had left, I could barely recognise myself, my eyes were slightly sunken and dark bags fell from my eyes, due to the lack of sleep, my arms were slightly bony as the rest of my body, I could barely eat from the constant anxiety I had, my mind was bombarding myself with questions. Would Glebka return to me? Was he doing alright? Did he stay in a big city? Had he met other pretty girls? Did he think of me? I closed the book and walked with Romeo along the gardens, barefoot, now that neither _mama_ nor _papa_ was here to tell me otherwise. From the distance, I heard trumpets and a commotion, next, the sound of the garden's back door being struggled with, I rushed to face the wooden door at the back of the palace and waited to see a maid trying to get me to eat, or perhaps Maria, but never would've I had expected to see a taller, bulkier Glebka, over his shoulder a bundle of items, he was dressed in the fern green uniform, which held shiny medals. I felt my heart call for him, he dropped his sack on the floor at the sight of me, though he tried to hide his shock, it was obvious for me that he didn't expect me to be in such condition, he began to walk urgently towards me, I felt my knees fail on me and drop me to the floor, a few crystallized tears ran down my cheek, my face still, so many emotions overtook me and I didn't know how to act. In no time Glebka had dropped next to me, bringing his chest closer to me, I let my body rest upon him and with a weak voice, I stuttered.

"My Glebka, you came home..." I reached my hands to his angular face, to make sure he was real.

_End of memory extract._   


But he melted into the air, my hand was in the void and all I could do was sob his name. "Glebka..." My eyes fluttered open, I was cold, where was I? I felt dizzy and unstable, but I tried to focus my eyes, there was quite a lot of light in the room, it reflected against the floor and directly into my eyes. I held my hand to shield the sparkle and tried to stand up, as this trouble was going on a rumble at the door, with the _clincling_ of the keys.

"Anya?" A husky voice talked warmly. The rumbling of boxes and bags falling to the floor. Quick steps clapping against the floor. A hand holding my head before I fell.

**_Gleb's point of view._ **   


I laid her on the bed and covered her with all the blankets I owned. I applied a cloth with warm water to her forehead and replaced it every few hours when it went cold again. I put away all of the food I had bought and the dress. The house was spotless. She must've overworked herself, with so little strength she shouldn't be working at all. I thought to myself, I prepared some patties for her to eat and recover her strength.

"I'm sorry..." I heard her mutter, I rushed from the chair I sat at to the edge of the bed, where I checked her temperature, she was going back to normal, I took the cloth off and left the plate of food by her. "I'm causing so much trouble..." My eyes were now focused on her, not comprehending anything of what she was saying. "Before you had your life, your job, now I'm here and..." She took a small breath. "It's what you said, Gleb," I felt odd, at hearing my name coming out of her rouged lips. "This is a dangerous fantasy... I'm ruining everything."

"Enough," I said, slightly annoyed, her face didn't shift, she simply looked away from me, as if she was trying to hold back tears. "This isn't because you are who you are." She didn't move, but I knew I was plotting in the right direction. "You had a nightmare, right?" Her head tilted upwards, trying to make her tears run back into her eyes, as she passed on to me a crumbled piece of parchment. I held it in my hand but didn't read it immediately, as I signalled the food. "Eat, you need to gain strength." I looked at her until I saw she took a bite, and laid back against the wall, making some space for me to sit next to her, I moved and let her head fall into my shoulder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, sorry for not updating so frequently, but with schoolwork and dance on the other side it's hard to find time to do anything at all, I found a little space where I could fit in some writing, which made me very happy, and here I am now, writing and updating this for you guys. Thank you so much for liking this fanfic, love ya!


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